Fix Annotations and Highlights Not Saving in Adobe Acrobat Mobile
Question details
The user is unable to save highlights and other annotations in the Adobe Acrobat mobile app after a recent update.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Mobile App
- Device & OS
- Mobile
- Scenario
- Annotating and highlighting text in a PDF document using a mobile device.
- Observed behavior
- Added highlights and comments are not being saved to the PDF document, and the standard highlighting gesture appears to fail after an app update.
Ensure your mobile device has a stable internet connection if your PDFs are stored in cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox, as synchronization issues can often prevent annotations from saving properly.
Use the Updated Highlighting Gesture and Save Manually
The gesture for highlighting text changed in a recent Acrobat update. Using the new long-press method and explicitly tapping "Done" ensures your annotations are registered and saved.
Adobe modified the text selection mechanics on mobile devices to improve precision. Instead of simply dragging, you now need to trigger the magnifying glass tool before selecting.
Tap the commenting tools button on the bottom menu to enter the annotation mode in the Acrobat app.
Tap the "Highlight" button from the available annotation tools.
Long-press the beginning of the text you want to highlight until a magnifying glass appears on the screen.
Keep your finger pressed and drag across the sentence to highlight the rest of the desired text.
Tap the "Done" button in the upper-left corner of the screen to explicitly save your new highlights.
Update Adobe Acrobat to Fix Annotation Bugs
Updating the app resolves known software bugs that cause comments and annotations to be lost when switching apps or putting the phone to sleep.
Annotate and Highlight PDFs Seamlessly with WPS Office
If you are continually experiencing lost annotations or crash issues with your current PDF reader, WPS Office provides a stable, user-friendly mobile app to read, highlight, and annotate PDFs securely without losing your work.
- 1. Open the PDF in WPS Office: Launch the WPS Office mobile app and open the PDF document you want to edit.
- 2. Access Annotation Tools: Tap the "Tools" menu at the bottom and select the "Annotation" tab.
- 3. Highlight Your Text: Choose the "Highlight" tool and simply drag over the text you wish to mark.
- 4. Save Instantly: Tap the "Save" icon at the top to secure your document changes locally or to the cloud immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the highlight gesture change in Adobe Acrobat mobile?
App developers occasionally update gestures to improve precision on touch screens. The newer long-press and drag method allows for more accurate text selection by triggering a magnifying glass tool, preventing accidental page swipes.
Can I restore a previous version of Adobe Acrobat on my phone?
Generally, mobile app stores like Google Play and Apple App Store do not provide an official way to downgrade to an older app version. The recommended approach is to update to the newest release, which patches missing features and known bugs.
Why are my PDF comments lost when I switch to another app?
If the app is force-closed or the mobile operating system suspends the application to clear memory, unsaved changes might be dropped. Always ensure you tap "Done" or manually save your annotations before minimizing the PDF app.
Does the storage location of the PDF affect saving highlights?
Yes, if your PDF is hosted on a cloud service (like Google Drive, Document Cloud, or Dropbox) and your device loses its network connection while editing, the app may fail to sync the file back to the server, resulting in lost highlights.
