Other PDF Issues

How to Hide the Adobe ExportPDF Sidebar in Adobe Reader

John Wilson Oct 22, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to stop the Adobe ExportPDF tools pane from automatically displaying and taking up screen space while viewing documents.

How to Hide the Adobe ExportPDF Sidebar in Adobe Reader

Product: Adobe Reader
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Viewing a PDF document and needing a distraction-free, full-width screen without promotional sidebars blocking the content.
Observed behavior: The Adobe ExportPDF sidebar persistently appears on the right side of the screen, occupying valuable space and partially blocking the document.

Before you start

Ensure you have your PDF document open in Adobe Reader and note your current software version, as the location of the preference menus can slightly vary between older and newer updates.

Solution 1Recommended

Hide Toolbars via the View Menu

Use the application's built-in view settings to hide the toolbar items and collapse the ExportPDF pane securely.

This is the most straightforward method to hide the sidebar using the main navigation menu. It works for most standard versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Open the View menu

Click on the 'View' tab located in the top menu bar of the Adobe Reader application.

Navigate to Show/Hide options

Hover your cursor over the 'Show/Hide' option in the drop-down menu to reveal additional display settings.

Select Toolbar Items

Click on 'Toolbar Items' from the secondary menu that appears.

Hide the toolbars

Click on 'Hide Toolbars'. This action will collapse the ExportPDF pane and maximize your document viewing area.

Persistent Sidebar: If the ExportPDF pane continues to appear after following these steps, you may need to update your Adobe Reader version or change the document preferences to 'Remember current state of Tools pane'.

Solution 2

Collapse the Tools Pane Manually

Use the quick collapse arrow on the interface to instantly hide the right-hand sidebar without navigating through menus.

Distraction-Free PDF Reader

Read and Edit PDFs Cleanly with WPS Office

If you are tired of intrusive sidebars and upsell panes blocking your documents, try WPS PDF. It offers a clean, user-friendly interface for reading, annotating, and managing PDFs without unnecessary clutter.

1. Download and Install WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website, download the free software suite, and install it on your computer.
2. Open your PDF Document: Launch WPS Office, click on 'Open', and select your PDF file to view it in the WPS PDF reader.
3. Enable Read Mode: Click on the 'Read Mode' icon at the bottom right corner or under the 'View' tab to completely hide all toolbars and sidebars for an immersive, full-screen reading experience.

Clean, distraction-free reading mode without forced sidebarsFully compatible with standard Adobe PDF formatsLightweight application that opens large files quicklyFree built-in annotation and page management tools

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the ExportPDF sidebar keep reappearing when I open a new document?

By default, Adobe Reader may be set to open the tools pane for every new document. You can prevent this by going to Edit > Preferences > Documents, and checking the box that says 'Remember current state of Tools pane'.

Can I completely disable or uninstall the ExportPDF feature in Adobe Reader?

ExportPDF is a core premium feature integrated into Adobe Reader's interface. While you cannot entirely uninstall the feature itself, you can permanently hide the tools pane using the View menu and Preference settings to keep it out of sight.

Is there a shortcut key to quickly hide or show the right tools pane in Adobe Reader?

Yes, you can press Shift + F4 on your keyboard (for Windows users) to instantly toggle the visibility of the right-hand tools pane.

PDF Troubleshooting