How to Fix PDF Files Downloading Instead of Opening in Brave Browser
Question details
Users are experiencing an issue where PDF attachments and links in the Brave browser download to the local device instead of opening directly within the browser.
- Product
- Brave Browser
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Clicking a PDF link or attachment while browsing the web using the Brave browser.
- Observed behavior
- PDF files automatically download to the local drive instead of opening automatically in the browser's built-in PDF viewer.
Ensure your Brave browser is updated to the latest version, as older versions might have unresolved bugs related to file handling and built-in viewers.
Adjust PDF Document Settings in Brave
Change the built-in browser settings to stop PDFs from downloading automatically.
The behavior of opening versus downloading PDFs is controlled internally by Brave's site settings, not by external PDF software like Adobe Acrobat.
Click the three horizontal lines (hamburger menu) in the top right corner of the browser and select 'Settings'.
Click on 'Privacy and security' on the left sidebar, then select 'Site and Shields Settings'.
Scroll down and expand 'Additional content settings', then click on 'PDF documents'.
Select the option 'Open PDFs in Brave' instead of 'Download PDFs'.
Verify Website Download Triggers
Determine if the issue is site-specific rather than a global browser setting.
View and Edit PDFs Easily with WPS Office
If your browser continues to force PDFs to download, you need a fast and reliable desktop PDF reader. WPS Office provides a lightweight, feature-rich PDF tool to open, read, edit, and annotate your PDF files instantly.
- 1. Download and Install: Get WPS Office for free from the official website and install it on your computer.
- 2. Set as Default PDF Reader: Right-click any downloaded PDF file, select 'Open with' > 'Choose another app', pick WPS Office, and check the option to 'Always use this app'.
- 3. Open and Read Instantly: Double-click your downloaded PDFs to instantly open them in WPS Office for seamless reading or editing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Adobe Acrobat control how Brave handles PDFs?
No, the behavior of opening or downloading PDFs inside Brave is entirely controlled by the Brave browser's built-in PDF settings, not by external applications like Adobe Acrobat.
Why did my browser suddenly start downloading PDFs instead of opening them?
This typically happens after a browser update resets your site settings to default, or if a newly installed security extension interferes with the browser's built-in PDF viewer.
How do I stop PDFs from opening in a new tab and force them to download instead?
If you prefer downloading over viewing, navigate to Brave's 'PDF documents' settings under Privacy and Security, and select the 'Download PDFs' option.
