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How to Fix Adobe Acrobat Reader for iOS Freezing or Hanging at Launch
Question details
Users experience the Adobe Acrobat Reader app becoming unresponsive, freezing, or hanging immediately upon opening on Apple mobile devices.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Device & OS
- iOS
- Scenario
- Launching the PDF reader application on an iPad or iPhone after a recent software update.
- Observed behavior
- The application freezes on the launch screen and hangs indefinitely, preventing users from accessing or viewing their PDF documents.
Ensure your iPhone or iPad is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network and has sufficient battery life before attempting to download application updates.
Update Adobe Acrobat Reader via the App Store
Installing the specific bug-fix update (version 18.09.14 or later) released by Adobe resolves the freezing issue during app launch.
Adobe identified a bug in a previous iOS release that caused the Acrobat Reader application to hang. They have since deployed a patch specifically addressing this launch sequence failure.
Tap the App Store icon on your iPad or iPhone home screen to launch the application.
Tap your Apple ID profile picture located at the top right corner of the App Store screen to open your account settings.
Scroll down to the 'Available Updates' section. Find Adobe Acrobat Reader in the list and tap the 'Update' button to install version 18.09.14 or newer.
Once the download and installation are complete, open Adobe Acrobat Reader to verify that the application launches normally without freezing.
Read and Edit PDFs Smoothly with WPS Office for iOS
If your current PDF reader continues to freeze on your iPhone or iPad, you can easily open, view, and annotate your documents using WPS Office's built-in, lightweight PDF tools.
- 1. Install WPS Office: Download and install WPS Office for free from the App Store on your iOS device.
- 2. Launch the application: Open WPS Office and tap on the 'Files' tab located at the bottom navigation bar.
- 3. Open your PDF: Navigate to the folder containing your PDF document and tap the file to open it instantly in the built-in PDF viewer.
- 4. Read and annotate: Use the bottom toolbar to access reading modes, highlight text, add bookmarks, or share your document seamlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Adobe Acrobat Reader keep freezing on my iPad?
A known software bug in a specific version of Adobe Acrobat Reader for iOS caused the application to hang during the launch sequence. Updating the app to version 18.09.14 or a more recent release typically resolves this bug.
How do I check which version of Adobe Acrobat I have installed on my iPhone?
You can check your current app version by opening the Settings app on your iOS device, scrolling down to the list of installed applications, tapping 'Acrobat', and looking at the version number displayed in the application's details.
Will I lose my downloaded PDFs if I reinstall Acrobat Reader on iOS?
If your PDFs are saved only in the local Acrobat app folder and not synced to a cloud service like Adobe Document Cloud or iCloud, deleting the app will remove those local files. Always back up your documents to the Files app or a cloud storage provider before uninstalling.
Can I open PDF files on my iPad without using Adobe Acrobat?
Yes, iOS devices come with built-in PDF viewing capabilities via the Apple Books or Files app. Alternatively, you can download a versatile office suite like WPS Office to view, edit, and annotate PDF documents seamlessly.
