Fix Cannot Import PDFs from Intune Outlook to Acrobat on iPad
Question details
Users are unable to import PDF attachments from the Microsoft Outlook app into Adobe Acrobat Reader on Intune-managed iPads after an Acrobat app update.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Outlook
- Device & OS
- iPad
- Scenario
- Attempting to open or import a PDF email attachment from a managed Outlook app into Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- Observed behavior
- The import process fails or the option is unavailable, preventing the user from transferring and viewing the PDF within the Acrobat app.
Ensure you have contact information for your organization's IT department, as resolving this issue requires an administrator to update mobile device management policies in Microsoft Intune.
Update Microsoft Intune App Protection Policies
This is the required administrative fix to restore PDF import functionality by applying Adobe's updated policy configurations in Microsoft Intune.
Recent updates to Adobe Acrobat introduced changes to how the application handles iOS file sharing under managed environments. Your IT administrator must adjust the Intune App Protection Policies to re-authorize data transfer from Outlook to Acrobat.
Reach out to your organization's Microsoft Intune or endpoint management administrator to report that PDF imports to Acrobat are failing.
Direct your administrator to Adobe's official mobile release documentation (specifically the October 2020 release changes) detailing the required Intune configuration updates.
The administrator must log into the Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center and apply the specified configuration changes to the App Protection Policies for iOS/iPadOS.
Once the updated policy has synced to your iPad, open Microsoft Outlook, locate an email with a PDF attachment, and attempt to import it into Adobe Acrobat Reader again.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the PDF import feature stop working after the Acrobat update?
The update altered how Adobe Acrobat interacts with iOS file sharing and Microsoft Intune. If your organization's Intune policies haven't been modified to accommodate these app changes, data transfers from managed apps like Outlook are blocked.
Can I manually bypass the Intune policy to open my PDF?
No, Intune App Protection Policies are enforced at the organizational level to secure corporate data. You cannot bypass them and must wait for your IT administrator to update the configuration.
How can I read my PDFs while waiting for the IT administrator to fix the policy?
You can temporarily view PDF attachments using the built-in file previewer directly within the Microsoft Outlook app on your iPad.
