And you’re getting errors. You can’t open, edit, copy or even sign them. Maybe the PDF doesn’t even print!
In this article, we’ll talk about:
If you have any questions, just drop a comment at the end of this tutorial and I’ll swoop in and help you!
Sound good? Let’s get your PDF up.
Yes, you can view and add annotations easily on a Chromebook.
It supports this ability by default through the Chrome Browser.
Most modern browsers nowadays all do the same thing- they have some way of processing PDFs with a lightweight reader.
However, if you’re on a Chromebook, you’re limited to just Chrome (unless you get a different browser).
For most people, the ability to save, view, edit, and print PDFs is enough.
But for professionals, brokers, or business owners who need to send off documents for signatures or sign them electronically, the browser-based reader won’t do it.
This section covers how you can read PDF files on your Chromebook.
Depending on what you need to do other than simply viewing the document, you may be able to get away with using the default viewer.
Otherwise, you’ll need an extension (which we’ll cover).
The default browser on a Chromebook (Chrome) can view, print, and even add notes/annotations to PDFs.
You can then save the document, email it, or even send it to a Cloud-Ready printer.
This requires absolutely NO extensions, apps, or downloads to make it work. It works out of the box.
Here’s how to view a PDF on the web:
How to view a PDF you have saved on your Chromebook:
You can make a PDF document easily on a Chromebook using Google Docs. Docs is a free alternative to paid products like MS Office or Word.
Docs lets you just type up a document as usual and then you can choose to save it as a PDF.
This is the easiest way to make a PDF on a Chromebook without any extensions or additional downloads. Google Docs is already “included” and you just need to visit docs.google.com to create your first doc.
Type out the doc, insert your pictures, diagrams, tables, charts, signature lines, etc. Then just save it as a PDF and there you go. PDF generated. Boom.
All docs save to your Drive account automatically so you can access your stuff anywhere. I wrote more about Google Docs and benefits over Word. I use Docs as my main text editor (it’s what I’m using to type this page!).
You can, of course, use extensions that basically redirect you to web apps to accomplish the same thing.
Here are some PDF makers that are free to use:
The built-in PDF viewer is already “enabled” by default.
If you toggled it off by accident, you can enable it again by doing the following:
With this option, you can tell your Chromebook how to handle PDF documents:
You can either select all the text and copy it to another PDF, Google Docs, Word/Office, or some other word processor, or you can just create a clone of the entire PDF.
To copy and paste a PDF, do this:
You can also use the right-click menu to choose “Select all, Copy, and Paste” accordingly anywhere in the PDF. Bring up the options by quickly tapping the touchpad with two fingers.
To create an entire copy of a PDF, simply save the PDF to your Chromebook. Find it in your Downloads folder (or wherever you saved it).
And then click on it once to select it. Then press “CTRL + C” and “CTRL + V” to create a clone. This is useful for making a copy on your local disk, USB drive, SD card, etc.
You can use an online converter that will do this for you (for free) or you can use a web app.
The program does all the work and will convert the PDF document into a Word file, which you can use MS Office or Google Docs to edit.
Some online converters you can check out:
Just upload your PDF and it’ll change it into a .doc format.
Obviously, don’t use this for documents that contain sensitive information, as these sites may not always secure your data.
You can spend time reading their privacy policy if you’re concerned. Remember, when a product is free, YOU are the product!
Don’t like Adobe Acrobat? Can’t get it working?
Here are some alternatives you can check out. Some are free to use with a basic plan. Others have paid features. See which one suits your needs.
The typical user can get away with just a basic free plan and do everything they need to do without ever spending a penny.
Lumin PDF is a simple and easy to use PDF viewer/editor.
You can do basic tasks like highlight text, edit, and also sign PDFs electronically. Lumin works directly within Chrome- all you need to do is install the extension so you have the quick option of launching the doc in Lumin.
Other features include erasing text, rotating and removing pages, freehand shapes, drawing tools (lines, squares, circles, etc.).
You can also add comments and sign, however, those are paid features (as with most software). You can also automatically backup your docs to Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and more.
Note that you don’t actually “use” Lumin by adding the extension to your Chromebook.
All that does is add a shortcut option that lets you right-click on your saved PDFs in your local disk and then “Open with > Lumin PDF” for convenience.
Pretty standard PDF viewer.
But it works and does what it says on the tin. And it’s one of the few that’s still being updated (with the last update two months ago at the time of this writing).
PDF Studio is a full-fledged PDF editor that allows you to do pretty much all the basics and then some.
The software has a standard and pro version, both of which are paid.
It’s a full-featured program that lets you scan-to-PDF, create PDFs, annotate, markup, fill and sign, append, save, create watermarks, secure documents, optimize and compare documents, digitally sign, and even redact and sanitize your files.
PDF Studio does NOT work on Chromebooks by default, you’ll need a Chromebook that has a container running Crostini. The software works up to version 70 when it was last confirmed.
For most people, the fact that this is paid software and you need Linux will be a turn-off.
But if you’re used to this program, you may want to get it on your Chromebook. It works, but you’ll have to get Crostini first.
Adobe Reader doesn’t work on Chromebooks.
Therefore, there’s no extension or program that’s compatible. This applies to Adobe Reader, Adobe Reader DC, and all previous versions of Reader (2017, 2018, 2019, etc.).
Adobe’s blog states that they don’t have a version compatible with Chromebooks, so, unfortunately, there’s no way to get Adobe Reader up and running.
Thankfully, there are a ton of alternatives to Adobe Reader that you can use.
You really only NEED Reader if you’re accessing password-protected documents or proprietary files. The majority of users never have to deal with this, so Reader isn’t necessary.
Use an alternative like Kami, Xodo, SmallPDF, or any of others listed here.
They’re free and do exactly what Reader does. If you’re used to using Reader and you’re coming from Windows, you’ll have to get used to using another PDF reader instead.
But no worries- they’re easy to learn and accomplish the same thing. However, if you need the ability to access password-protected files, you may need to resort to another device or program.
Your browser does the PDF handling and works for most things you need to do- printing, saving, or viewing PDFs.
You can even add comments or freehand draw straight from Chrome without having to download anything. This is the easiest PDF reader for Chromebook because it comes with your device by default.
(New to Chromebooks? Check out this beginner’s guide to see all the cool stuff you can do!)
Adobe provides their Acrobat extension on the Chrome Web Store, but sadly it’s limited to ONLY Windows users.
This means it doesn’t work on Chromebooks or Chrome OS. If you’re using Chrome on a Windows PC, then this extension will let you convert web pages into PDFs.
Since you can’t really do much with that (and given the fact that it doesn’t even work for non-Windows users), Acrobat DC is pretty much pointless if you’re on a Chromebook.
Some Chromebook models have access to the Google Play Store, which means you can download and install PDFs apps that you’d normally use on your Android phone.
There are a TON of free PDF editors/viewers made for Android. And your Chromebook can run them too.
As long as you have a compatible device, you should be able to download Android apps.
The Play Store should be installed by default on Chromebooks made within the last 3 years or so (2017+).
Here’s how to access it:
Not all apps will run perfectly, as this feature is still relatively new and in beta. If you already have a PDF viewer on your phone, you can now use it on your Chromebook.
Or you can just browse the dozens of free and paid apps and try them out until you find one that suits your needs.
Here’s a list of some of the best PDF apps for Chromebooks through Google Play:
There are tons of them and many are free. Most of them work with Chromebooks, so check ‘em out!
You should also note that older models won’t have the Play Store installed. You can get the update if you want to give it a shot.
Don’t like using Chrome as your default PDF reader? There’s an extension for that.
Here are some of the most popular and versatile PDF extensions for Chromebooks.
You can use CRD to remotely connect to your Windows PC and edit your PDFs that way. If you have some kind of paid, licensed software that you’re used to using on your PC, a remote connection will suffice.
This lets you “work” on your Chromebook anywhere in the world where there’s a WiFi connection. This technology is nothing new, but has recently become very popular.
And your Chromebook can take full advantage of it.
The process is straightforward and the extension is free.
Electronically signing a PDF is a critical feature that professionals, teachers, lawyers, brokers, and many other jobs require. With everything going electronic nowadays, signing a PDF should be a basic requirement.
Sadly, many programs capitalized on this and made it into a paid feature.
You can still get away with it by using some free online PDF signers, but it’s anything but professional (nor should you be feeling confident about your privacy). If you just need a basic agreement signed, a free online web app should do the trick.
But if you’re doing some business with sensitive data, you’ll need to invest in a “real” PDF signer. And this is usually paid on an annual or monthly basis.
Programs like Kami and PDF Annotator both allow signatures (digital or handwritten). You’ll have to do the research and see which program works for you.
Here are some programs that allow signatures:
Tip: The poor man’s method is to just use any freehand drawing tool and “draw” a signature. Get a tablet with a stylus pen and have your client sign it.
You now have the knowledge to view, edit, create, sign, and copy PDFs on Chrome OS.
Sure, it’s a little different compared to Windows or Mac.
But once you get the hang of it, you’ll be blazing through those documents like a pro.
If you have any questions, drop me a comment and I’ll try to help you out. I’ve written over 300 articles now, so it does take me some time to answer all the comments (sorry).
Or if you found this tutorial to be helpful, let me know as well. Consider telling a friend who may get some value out of it! I hope it helped you solve your PDF problems!
Thanks for reading!
Andy is a casual-hardcore Chrome OS fan and contributes to the site regularly. He likes computers, tech, sports cars, videogames, and of course, Chromebooks. Thinker. Introvert. Geek. You can find him on Twitter (@platytech), or send him an email (check the "Contact Us" page).
