How to Stop Automatic Popups When Highlighting Text in Adobe Acrobat
Question details
The user needs to prevent Adobe Acrobat from automatically opening comment pop-up windows every time text is highlighted or drawn on a PDF.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat DC
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Highlighting text or drawing on study documents using a PDF reader.
- Observed behavior
- Comment popups open automatically and repeatedly after highlighting text or drawing on the document.
Ensure you have saved any current work in your PDF documents and have a stable internet connection, as you may need to download official application updates.
Update Adobe Acrobat to the Latest Version
Updating the software is the most effective way to resolve this issue, as Adobe has addressed the automatic popup bug in newer releases.
Software updates often contain patches for known bugs. The automatic popup behavior after highlighting is a known issue that was resolved in a later Acrobat and Reader update.
Launch Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader on your computer and click on the 'Help' menu located in the top navigation bar.
Click on 'Check for Updates' from the dropdown menu to prompt the software to communicate with Adobe's servers and look for the latest patches.
Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install any available updates. Once the installation is complete, close and restart Acrobat.
Reset Acrobat Commenting Preferences
If updating doesn't solve the problem, manually adjusting or resetting your commenting preferences can stop the popups from triggering.
Highlight PDFs Without Annoying Pop-ups Using WPS PDF
WPS Office includes a robust, user-friendly PDF editor that allows you to read, annotate, and highlight study documents smoothly without disruptive automatic comment pop-ups.
- 1. Open Your PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office, click on 'Open' from the home screen, and select your PDF study document.
- 2. Access the Highlight Tool: Navigate to the 'Comment' tab at the top of the screen and click on the 'Highlight' tool icon.
- 3. Highlight Seamlessly: Click and drag over the text you want to highlight. The color will apply immediately without forcing a comment popup to open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do comment pop-ups keep opening when I highlight text in Acrobat?
This behavior was caused by a specific bug in older versions of Adobe Acrobat DC where the software misinterpreted a highlight action as an intent to type a note. Adobe has patched this in newer updates.
Can I turn off comment pop-ups entirely in Adobe Acrobat?
Yes, you can disable them by navigating to Edit > Preferences > Commenting, and unchecking the option 'Automatically open comment pop-ups for comments other than notes'.
Will updating Acrobat delete my existing highlights and comments?
No, updating Adobe Acrobat only replaces the application files to fix bugs. All your personal documents, highlights, and annotations will remain safely intact.
What should I do if updating doesn't fix the popup issue?
If the issue persists after updating, try resetting your Acrobat commenting preferences or test a newly created PDF document to see if the problem is specific to a corrupted file.
