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How to Transfer Acrobat PDF Files When Changing Phones

Algirdas Jasaitis Oct 19, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to know how to migrate their local PDF files to a new mobile device when upgrading or changing phones.

How to Transfer Acrobat PDF Files When Changing Phones

Product: Adobe Acrobat Reader
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Switching to a new mobile phone and wanting to preserve access to previously downloaded or created PDF documents.
Observed behavior: PDF files saved under the 'On This Phone' location do not automatically transfer to the new device and remain trapped on the original hardware.

Before you start

Ensure that your old phone is still operational, connected to a stable Wi-Fi network, and that you have active accounts for cloud storage services such as Adobe Document Cloud, OneDrive, or Dropbox.

Solution 1Recommended

Move Local PDFs to Cloud Storage

Transfer your files to a cloud-based service before switching phones to ensure they sync automatically to your new device.

Files stored in the 'On This Phone' directory are saved locally on your device's internal storage. Because these are not synced to an online account by default, you must manually move them to a cloud storage provider before factory resetting or recycling your old phone.

Open local files

Launch the Acrobat app on your old phone, navigate to the 'Files' tab, and tap on 'On This Phone' to view all your local documents.

Select PDFs to transfer

Select the PDF files you want to keep. Tap the contextual menu (often represented by three dots) next to the files.

Move to the cloud

Choose the option to move or save the files to Adobe Document Cloud, Microsoft OneDrive, or Dropbox.

Access on the new phone

On your new phone, download the Acrobat app, sign in to the same cloud account you used in the previous step, and navigate to the cloud storage section to open your PDFs.

Verify your upload: Before wiping your old phone, log into your cloud account via a web browser on another device to confirm all your PDFs were uploaded successfully.

Seamless PDF Sync Across Devices

Use WPS Office to Easily Manage and Sync PDFs Across Devices

With WPS Office, you can effortlessly manage, edit, and sync your PDF documents using WPS Cloud. By saving your files to the cloud, you ensure that your documents are instantly accessible on any new phone, tablet, or computer you switch to, without complex manual transfers.

1. Install the app: Download and install WPS Office on your current mobile device from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Activate WPS Cloud: Open the app and sign in or create a free WPS account to automatically activate your cloud storage.
3. Save PDFs to cloud: Import your local PDF files into WPS Office and ensure they are saved directly to the 'WPS Cloud' folder.
4. Sync to new device: Install WPS Office on your new phone, log in with the same account, and instantly access all your synced PDFs.

1GB of free WPS Cloud storage for easy device migration and file backupFully compatible with Adobe Acrobat PDF formats and featuresRead, edit, annotate, and sign PDFs across Android, iOS, Windows, and MacLightweight mobile application with an intuitive user interface

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my PDFs automatically transfer if I use a phone migration tool?

Phone migration tools may transfer the app itself, but they often miss app-specific local data directories. It is highly recommended to move files from 'On This Phone' to a cloud service like Adobe Document Cloud to guarantee no data is lost.

Can I use Google Drive to transfer my PDF files?

Yes, you can upload your PDFs to Google Drive. Locate the files on your old phone, use the 'Share' or 'Send a Copy' function in Acrobat, and select Google Drive. You can then access them on your new phone by installing the Google Drive app.

How do I find the 'On This Phone' files in the app?

Open the Acrobat Reader app, tap on the 'Files' tab located at the bottom menu, and select 'On This Phone' from the list of locations. This directory displays all documents physically saved on your device's local storage.

PDF Troubleshooting