Adobe Unveils Acrobat PDF Reader Extension For Chrome

In a fast-paced world, making quick edits to PDFs can be a hassle. Adobe is rectifying this by launching Chrome and Microsoft Edge extensions for its popular PDF tools.

These extensions offer access to PDF reading and editing tools within the browser, thus saving users the trouble of installing a specific software on their computer. Moreover, users don’t need an Acrobat Pro DC subscription to access basic functionality on these extensions. You can sign documents, add comments to PDFs, and even download/print files for free.

Most of the features of the new extensions are accessible for free

However, users will need to get a subscription if they want to convert PDFs to Word documents, Excel sheets, and so on. The company wants users to check out the Acrobat Pro DC to unlock some of these other tools. New users also get a 7-day free trial for the Acrobat Pro DC subscription.

These extensions should do the job for basic tasks like signing documents or adding comments to PDFs. Adobe makes it clear that these new extensions are not related to the company’s Acrobat web which was updated not too long ago (via).

Adobe hit a bitter-sweet landmark in its history this year when Flash Player was removed. The decision was in the works since mid-2017 and finally materialized in early 2021.

The company has also worked in tandem with Google to branch out its productivity tools. In May this year, the two companies announced improved integration between Creative Cloud and Google Workspace. Adobe first brought Creative Cloud to Gmail in the form of an add-on in 2020. The feature now extends to Docs and Slides as well.

What this meant is that users wouldn’t have to leave their Google apps to access services like Photoshop, XD, Illustrator, and InDesign. Easy access to Creative Cloud libraries also opens up tools like brand colors, character styles, and graphics, all within Docs or Slides.

This integration between Google and Adobe services made sense given that both productivity tools are extensively used while collaborating. Google acknowledged that support for Adobe’s Creative Cloud was one of the top requests from Workspace admins.