Configure browser to use the Adobe PDF plug-in to open online PDF files

Search

Solve PDF issues by reconfiguring your browser to work with Acrobat or Reader plug-in.

Many recent browser versions include their own, native PDF plug-ins that automatically replace the Acrobat and Reader plug-in from Adobe. Installing Firefox 19 or later, for instance, can result in your Adobe plug-in being disabled and replaced. Browser plug-ins typically do not support all PDF capabilities or offer comparable features. If you experience the following problems, you may need to revert to the Adobe plug-in:

Parts of a PDF don’t display
Poor performance or image quality
Large files sizes when printing to PDF
3D models don't render
Embedded SWF files don't play

Choose your browser and system:

Filter by:

Manually change your browser preferences so that it uses the Acrobat or Reader PDF viewer.

Choose Firefox > Options > Applications.

In the Content Type area, scroll to Portable Document Format (PDF).

Click the Action column next to Portable Document Format (PDF), and then select an application to open the PDF. For example, to use the Acrobat plug-in within the browser, choose Use Adobe Acrobat (in Firefox).

Use Adobe Acrobat in Firefox

Select Firefox.

Choose Preferences > Applications.

Select Portable Document Format (PDF) from the Content Type Column.

Click the Action column next to Portable Document Format (PDF), and then select Use Adobe Acrobat NPAPI Plug-in.

Use Adobe Acrobat

Chrome and Acrobat are no longer compatible. For more information, see Change in support for Acrobat and Reader plug-ins in modern web browsers.

In the Finder, select a PDF, and choose File > Get Info.

Click the arrow next to Open With to expose the product menu.

Choose either Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader from the application menu.

Open With Mac

Click the Change All button.

Change All

When asked if you want to change all similar documents, click Continue.

Launch Safari and choose Safari > Preferences.

Safari Preferences

In the Preferences window, click Security, and then click Website Settings next to Internet plug-ins.

Safari Security Preferences

Select Adobe Reader in the list of plug-ins. Under When Visiting Other Websites, in the drop-down list choose Allow Always and click Done.

The browser is now set to use the Adobe Reader plug-in to display PDFs.

Twitter™ and Facebook posts are not covered under the terms of Creative Commons.

Legal Notices | Online Privacy Policy