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Fix Cannot Open Hyperlinks in PDF E-Books on iPhone and iPad
Question details
Users cannot open or click hyperlinks within PDF e-books when using their mobile PDF reader.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Device & OS
- iOS (iPhone/iPad)
- Scenario
- Reading PDF e-books and attempting to navigate the document using Table of Contents links or illustration links.
- Observed behavior
- Tapping hyperlinks in the PDF e-book results in no action; the interactive links are completely unresponsive.
Ensure your iPhone or iPad is connected to the internet and has sufficient storage space to install app updates from the App Store.
Update the PDF Reader to the Latest Version
Updating the app resolves known bugs, including the hyperlink unresponsiveness that was fixed in Adobe Acrobat Reader version 18.10.00 and newer.
Software bugs in older app versions can break interactive features like hyperlinks and bookmarks. The developers patched the e-book hyperlink bug in version 18.10.00, so installing the newest release restores normal functionality.
Tap the App Store icon on your iPhone or iPad home screen.
Tap your Apple ID profile picture in the top right corner of the screen.
Scroll down to the 'Available Updates' section. Locate Adobe Acrobat Reader and tap the 'Update' button next to it. Alternatively, search for the app manually and update it from its store page.
Once the installation completes, open the app, load your PDF e-book, and tap on a Table of Contents link to verify that the hyperlinks are now working.
Use WPS Office to Seamlessly Read PDF E-Books on iOS
If you continue experiencing issues with unresponsive links in your current PDF reader, switch to WPS Office. It offers a powerful, free PDF reader for iPhone and iPad that natively supports all standard PDF hyperlinks, Table of Contents navigation, and bookmarks.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Install WPS Office for free from the App Store on your iPhone or iPad.
- 2. Locate your PDF: Open the WPS Office app and tap the 'Files' tab to browse for your saved PDF e-book.
- 3. Open the document: Tap the PDF file to launch it in the built-in WPS PDF reader.
- 4. Navigate via hyperlinks: Tap on any in-text link or Table of Contents entry to instantly jump to the desired chapter or page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the hyperlinks in my PDF not clickable on my iPad?
This usually happens if the PDF reader app is outdated and contains a bug, or if the PDF was exported improperly without flattening the interactive elements. Updating your app to the latest version typically resolves reader-side issues.
Does WPS Office for iOS support PDF Table of Contents?
Yes, WPS Office fully supports native PDF Table of Contents outlines and in-document hyperlinks, allowing you to easily jump between chapters in your e-books and long documents.
How do I check the current version of an app on my iPhone?
You can check the version by opening the App Store, searching for the app, and looking at the 'Version History' section. Alternatively, check the 'About' or 'Settings' section within the app's own menu.
Why do some links work in a PDF while others do not?
This can occur if the author formatted certain texts to look like links (underlined and blue) without actually embedding a destination URL or page reference, or if the specific links point to external websites that require browser permissions.
