How to Fix Acrobat Hand Tool Cannot Select Text on Touchscreen Laptops
Question details
The user is unable to select PDF text using the Acrobat Hand tool on a touchscreen device, even though the text selection preference is enabled.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Reading or attempting to select text in a PDF document using a touchscreen laptop.
- Observed behavior
- The Hand tool cursor does not change into the text-selection cursor when hovering over or touching text.
Verify if the issue happens with all PDF files or just one, as specific documents might have security restrictions preventing text selection or might be scanned images.
Adjust Acrobat Security and Preferences
Modify the Enhanced Security and Protected View settings to restore normal Hand tool behavior.
Sometimes, Acrobat's advanced security features can interfere with normal cursor behavior on touchscreen devices. Toggling these settings can often reset the tool.
Launch Adobe Acrobat and navigate to Edit > Preferences.
Select 'Security (Enhanced)' from the left pane. Toggle the 'Protected View' and 'Enable Enhanced Security' settings to see if the restriction is lifted.
Go to the 'General' tab in Preferences and ensure 'Make Hand tool select text & images' is checked.
Close Adobe Acrobat completely and reopen the document to test the text selection.
Repair Installation and Check Updates
If settings adjustments fail, the application installation might be corrupted or outdated.
Easily Select and Edit PDF Text with WPS Office
If Acrobat's hand tool continues to malfunction on your touchscreen device, WPS Office provides a highly compatible and user-friendly PDF editor. You can effortlessly select, copy, and modify text without dealing with complex security settings or touch driver conflicts.
- 1. Open your PDF: Launch WPS Office and open your target PDF document.
- 2. Access Editing Tools: Click on the 'Edit' tab located on the top toolbar.
- 3. Select Text: Click the 'Select Text' tool to easily highlight, copy, or modify any text within the document.
- 4. Switch Input Modes: Use your touchscreen or mouse interchangeably without needing to configure complex preference settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I select text in a specific PDF file?
The PDF file might be a scanned image rather than a true text document, or it may have security restrictions (DRM) applied by the author to prevent copying and editing.
How do I know if my PDF is just a scanned image?
If you try to select text and the entire page highlights as one large block or image, the document is likely scanned. You will need to use an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tool to extract and make the text selectable.
Does the Hand tool work differently on touchscreen laptops?
Yes, touchscreen drivers can sometimes conflict with how Acrobat recognizes cursor inputs. Ensuring your system touch drivers and PDF software are fully updated usually resolves these conflicts.
Is there a keyboard shortcut to select text instead of using the Hand tool?
Yes, you can bypass the Hand tool entirely by pressing the 'V' key on your keyboard to switch directly to the standard Selection tool in Acrobat.
