PDF Opening Issues

How to Open PDF Documents in Adobe Acrobat Reader on iPhone

Rana Garcia Oct 18, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to know how to route and open PDF documents from various third-party iOS applications into Adobe Acrobat Reader.

How to Open PDF Documents in Adobe Acrobat Reader on iPhone

Product: Adobe Acrobat Reader
Device & OS: iOS
Scenario: Opening downloaded or attached PDF files from external apps like email clients, web browsers, and cloud storage into a dedicated PDF viewer.
Observed behavior: The user must utilize the iOS native Share or Open In menu to transfer the PDF document from the source app to Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Before you start

Ensure that Adobe Acrobat Reader is successfully installed from the App Store on your iPhone and that you are logged into your respective email or cloud storage accounts.

Solution 1Recommended

Open PDFs from Email Applications (Gmail and Outlook)

Use this method to open PDF attachments directly from your email clients using the iOS Share menu.

Email attachments on iOS often open in a basic preview mode. To view or edit them properly, you need to push them to a dedicated PDF reader using the Share or Open In options.

Open from Gmail

Tap on the PDF attachment in your Gmail app to open the preview. Tap the Share icon located on the screen, then select Acrobat from the list of available apps.

Open from Microsoft Outlook

Tap the PDF attachment within your Outlook email to preview it. Tap the Share icon, then select the 'Open In' option, and finally choose Acrobat from the app list.

Open PDFs from Email Applications (Gmail and Outlook)

App not listed: If you do not see Acrobat in the Share menu, scroll to the far right of the app icons, tap 'More' (...), and select Acrobat from the expanded list.

Solution 2

Open PDFs from Cloud Storage Apps (Google Drive and OneDrive)

Follow these steps to open PDF files stored in your cloud drives into Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Solution 3

Open PDFs from Web Browsers (Google Chrome)

Use this approach when downloading or viewing PDF links directly in the Google Chrome browser on your iPhone.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Easily View and Edit PDFs on iOS with WPS Office

If you frequently work with PDFs on your iPhone, WPS Office offers a powerful, lightweight, and completely free alternative. It seamlessly handles PDFs along with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files in one unified app.

1. Install WPS Office: Download WPS Office from the iOS App Store.
2. Access your files: Open the app and navigate to the 'Files' tab to browse local or cloud documents.
3. Open your PDF: Tap any PDF document to instantly open it with WPS Office's built-in PDF reader.

Free and lightweight PDF viewer and editor for iOS devicesSeamlessly compatible with Adobe PDF formats and Microsoft Office filesBuilt-in file manager connects directly to Google Drive, OneDrive, and DropboxAdvanced tools to annotate, merge, extract, and convert PDFs on the go

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I see Adobe Acrobat in the iOS Share menu?

If Acrobat isn't visible, scroll to the far right of the app list in the Share menu and tap 'More' (the three dots icon). You will find Adobe Acrobat in the expanded list. You can also tap 'Edit' to add it to your favorites for quicker access.

Can I set a default app to open PDFs on my iPhone?

iOS handles default applications differently than desktop operating systems. You generally need to use the 'Share' or 'Open In' menu to route PDFs to specific apps like Acrobat, though you can save files directly to the Acrobat folder via the iOS Files app.

What should I do if the PDF won't load in my email app before sharing?

If a PDF is too large or corrupted and fails to preview in Gmail or Outlook, try saving the attachment directly to your iPhone's native Files app first. Open the Files app, locate the saved document, and use the Share menu to open it in your preferred PDF reader.

PDF Troubleshooting