How to Fix Acrobat Highlight Tool Turning Off After Each Highlight
Question details
The user wants to keep the PDF highlighting tool active for multiple consecutive selections without it turning off after every single use.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Highlighting multiple passages of text across a PDF document.
- Observed behavior
- The highlight tool deactivates immediately after highlighting one section of text, reverting to the standard selection cursor.
Verify whether the highlight tool is simply unpinned in your current PDF workspace settings, as this is the most common reason for it reverting to the selection cursor.
Pin the Highlight Tool for Continuous Use
The quickest fix is to enable the 'Keep tool selected' option so the highlighter remains active for repeated use.
By default, some PDF editors revert to the hand or selection tool after a single annotation is made. Pinning the tool overrides this behavior.
Open your PDF document and click on the Highlight text tool in the main toolbar.
Look for a small pin icon (Keep tool selected) on the floating properties bar or within the Quick Tools menu.
Click the pin icon to lock the tool. Alternatively, right-click the Highlight tool icon and select 'Keep Tool Selected' from the context menu.
Reset Application Preferences
If pinning the tool does not work, corrupted user preferences might be causing the tool settings to malfunction.
Update the PDF Software
Software bugs in older software versions can cause UI tools to deactivate unexpectedly.
Use WPS Office for Seamless Continuous PDF Highlighting
Avoid frustrating tool deactivation issues. WPS PDF Editor provides a smooth, continuous highlighting experience by default, allowing you to annotate large documents effortlessly without constantly reselecting the tool.
- 1. Open your PDF: Launch WPS Office and open your PDF document.
- 2. Navigate to annotations: Click on the 'Comment' tab located on the top ribbon.
- 3. Select the Highlight tool: Click on the 'Highlight' tool icon.
- 4. Highlight continuously: Drag across the text you want to mark. The tool remains active automatically for your next selection until you press 'Esc'.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my cursor change back to the hand tool after highlighting?
This happens when the 'Keep Tool Selected' option is disabled in your PDF viewer. Pinning the tool or double-clicking the highlight icon usually resolves this and locks the tool.
Can I use a keyboard shortcut to highlight text in a PDF?
Yes, many PDF editors support keyboard shortcuts. Depending on your software and settings, pressing 'U' or 'Ctrl+H' often activates the highlight tool directly.
Is there a way to change the highlight color permanently?
Yes. Right-click an existing highlight, select 'Properties', choose your desired color, and check the box that says 'Make Properties Default' before clicking OK.
