Yes, the new version of Microsoft Edge comes with a PDF reader, and these are the steps to get started.
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Alongside a new rendering engine based on the Chromium open-source project developed by Google, Microsoft Edge also comes with a PDF viewer experience that includes the essential tools you need to open and work with PDF documents and forms on Windows 10.
However, because this is an entirely new version of the browser, you won't be getting every feature intended for the experience. Instead, initially, you'll be getting all the essentials, and in future updates, Microsoft will continue to introduce additional functionalities.
In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to use the Chromium version of Microsoft Edge to view and work with PDF files.
To make Chromium Edge the default PDF viewer on Windows 10, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, any PDF document will open with the web browser without additional steps automatically.
Microsoft Edge provides all the necessary controls that you'll need to navigate and work with PDF documents.
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To open a PDF file with Edge, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, the document will open in the browser.
While in the document, you'll see the toolbar at the top. If you don't see it, drag the mouse pointer near the edge of the document and click the Pin button on the right to make it always visible.
On the left side of the toolbar, you'll find the current page and the number of pages available in the document. Unlike the reader available in the legacy version, in this release, you won't get a table of contents or search option. However, in the current page field, you can type a page number to jump to another section in the document quickly.
Quick tip: If you need to search the document, you can use the Ctrl + F keyboard shortcut to open the browser search functionality.
On the right side of the toolbar, you'll find the typical Zoom in and Zoom out buttons, a Rotate button that will come in handy when you're working with scanned documents, which often don't have the proper orientation, and a Fit to page option.
In this new version of the browser, you are also getting a Draw button, which allows you to use digital inking to write notes or sketch on the PDF document using a mouse, stylus, or finger. It's currently limited to a single color, but it's still a useful feature for signing PDF documents without the need to install a third-party application.
The Eraser button is available in the toolbar to delete strokes using the drawing option.
Similar to other PDF viewers, you get a Print button to print the document and a Save button to save a copy of the document with the new changes (if applicable).
The PDF viewer available with the Chromium version of Microsoft Edge is still under development, and it's not as complete as the experience found in the legacy version. For instance, the inking functionality only includes one color, but in future releases, more colors are expected to be available.
Also, the Chromium version of Edge includes the ability to select and highlight text using the context menu. And you can save or print the document with the highlights, but it's a feature coming in a future update.
If you use Microsoft Edge Chromium, you can also fill out PDF forms on the web, or locally stored on your computer, and then save them for printing.
To edit a PDF document, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the form will save on your device or print with the information you specified.
If you need to print a PDF document or form, Microsoft Edge makes it an easy task.
To access the print settings on Microsoft Edge, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, the print job will be sent to the printer you specified.
Although starting with the first stable release, Microsoft Edge includes the tools to view and work with PDF files; you're only getting an experience that consists of some basic features to navigate, annotate, save, and print.
The good news is that the browser is no longer tied to the Windows 10 release schedule, which means that the company will be able to push updates to improve the PDF feature and other parts of the browser more quickly. For example, in future updates, some expected changes include more colors for annotating, highlighting text (currently only available in the Canary release), read aloud for PDFs, and more.
Also, remember that the reader isn't meant to replace full-blown PDF software. There will always be the need for third-party applications for more advanced editing, such as adding watermark, comparing changes, exporting files as Office documents, and other features.
Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.
