Disable the Adobe Reader plugin in Firefox (Tools Add-ons Plugins) and use the external Adobe Reader application or Preview application instead. Firefox Preferences Applications Adobe PDF document: Use Adobe Reader PDF files may also be found under another entry like Portable document. You can install an earlier version of Reader. For step-by-step instructions, see Install an older version of Adobe Reader on Mac OS. Click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of your screen, then choose About This Mac. Firefox: Download and install Acrobat Reader DC. When asked if you are sure that you want to open the.
Firefox includes a built-in PDF viewer to display PDF files inside the browser window. This article explains how to use the built-in PDF viewer, how to fix the common issues you might encounter, and how to use another PDF viewer.
Table of Contents
- 1Firefox's built-in PDF Viewer
Firefox includes a built-in PDF viewer that allows you to view almost all PDF files found on the web without an external application (exceptions to this are PDF files with a MIME type incorrectly set). This built-in PDF viewer is enabled by default. When you click on a link to a PDF file or open it from the Firefox Downloads panel, it will be rendered with the built-in pdf viewer.
Fill out forms in PDF Viewer
Some PDFs files have interactive fields to fill in data (such as on forms). Using Firefox's built-in PDF viewer you can fill out fields such as text, check boxes and radio buttons. After entering data into these fields you can download the file to have the filled out version saved to your computer.
PDF Viewer toolbar functions
- View document thumbnails or outline: The slider button on the far left will open a sidebar with thumbnails of the document's pages. Some documents will also have an outline view available. These make it easy to navigate through a long document.
- Page up and down or skip directly to a page: You can use the up and down arrows to page through a document or enter the number of the page you want to go to.
- Change the size of the document: Use the + and - buttons to zoom in and out or choose a zoom setting from the dropdown menu.
- Fullscreen or Presentation mode: Click the fullscreen button to allow the PDF file to take over your entire screen. Press ESC to exit fullscreen mode.
- Print: Click the Printer button to open the print setup dialog.
- Download: Click the Download button to save the PDF file to your computer or to open it with a PDF reader program.
- Copy current view:Right-clickHold down the control key while you click the current view button to open the current view in another tab or window.
PDF Viewer keyboard shortcuts
| Command | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Next page | N or J or → or Page Down |
| Previous page | P or K or ← or Page Up |
| Zoom in | Ctrl + +command + + |
| Zoom out | Ctrl + -command + - |
| Automatic Zoom | Ctrl + 0command + 0 |
| Rotate the document clockwise | R |
| Rotate counterclockwise | Shift + R |
Troubleshoot problems with the PDF viewer
- With certain types of PDF files, the PDF Viewer may have problems displaying fonts, colors or the whole document. If some PDF files don't render well or are blank, click the download button on the right side of the document header to open it with the default PDF viewer application on your computer.
- If you can't open any PDF files with the built-in PDF viewer, a Firefox extension could be the cause. You can disable all of your extensions, to see if one of them was the problem. For details, see Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems.
You can also use a different third party PDF viewer instead of Firefox's built-in PDF viewer. To change from using the built-in PDF viewer to another PDF viewer:
- Click the menu button and select ..
- In the General panel, go down to the Applications section.
- Find Portable Document Format (PDF) in the list and click on the entry to select it.
- Click on the arrow under the Action column for the above entry and select the PDF viewer you wish to use from the drop-down menu.
If you want Firefox to always ask you what to do with PDF files, follow the above steps to change the action for the Portable Document Format (PDF) entry, except select Always ask from the drop-down menu. The next time you click on a link to download a PDF file, Firefox will show you a prompt asking what to do with the file. You can then choose to open it with Firefox's built-in PDF viewer, open it with a different PDF application, or you can choose to save the file.
For more information, see Change what Firefox does when you click on or download a file.
You can choose to have Firefox's built-in PDF viewer as the default for viewing PDFs in the browser but open downloaded PDF files with a third party tool. To open a PDF file you downloaded in Firefox, using a third party viewer:
- Open the Downloads panel by clicking the download icon next to the address bar.
- Right-click on the file folder icon of the PDF file and select Open Containing Folder.Hold down the control key while you click (two finger click) the magnifying glass icon of the PDF file and select Show in Finder.
- Then in the Downloads folder, right-clickControl-click on the file and select Open with and choose your favorite PDF viewer.
Many factors can affect the display of a PDF on the web, including damage to the PDF; how the website displays the PDF; the version of Acrobat, Reader, or the browser; security and cookie settings; or the status of the server on which the PDF resides. Try the suggestions below as your first troubleshooting steps.
Open PDF directly in Reader or Acrobat (quick fix)
If the PDF appears as a clickable link, you can often save the file to your desktop and open it directly. Downloading the file is a quick solution to get you going without further troubleshooting.
- Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) the link to the PDF file.
Choose the appropriate save or download option. The options vary depending on your browser:
- (Internet Explorer) Save Target As
- (Firefox) Save Link As
- (Safari) Download Linked File
Make sure Adobe Acrobat Document is selected for the file type, and save the file.
Note:
If you don't see a Save As dialog box, your browser could have opened a separate downloads window and downloaded the file automatically.
Locate the saved PDF, and double-click the file to open it. If your browser opened a downloads window, double-click the PDF in the downloads list.
Adobe releases regular security updates for Reader and Acrobat. It's likely that the latest update patch can fix a conflict with your system or browser.
Reader or Acrobat, or the resources they rely on, could have been damaged. Repairing the installation is a quick troubleshooting safeguard.
Firefox Mac Open Pdf In Browser
- (Reader) Choose Help > Repair Adobe Reader Installation.
- (Acrobat) Choose Help > Repair Acrobat Installation.
Viewing PDFs within a browser, requires that the Adobe PDF plug-in is enabled.
SeeTechNote Troubleshoot Safari Plug-in Problems | Acrobat X and Reader X.
Firefox Open Pdf In Adobe Reader
The steps to enable the Adobe PDF plug-in vary depending on your version of Internet Explorer.
Open Pdf Online
- Select Tools > Manage Add-ons. (Or choose Tools > Internet Options, click the Programs tab, then click Manage Add-ons.)
- In the Show pop-up menu, select All Add-ons. (In some versions the option is Add-ons That Have Been Used by Internet Explorer.)
Scroll to the section of add-ons for Adobe, and select Adobe PDF Reader.
- If the status of Adobe PDF Reader is set to Disabled, click the Enable button.
- Click the Plug-ins tab (purple/blue icon). (The layout of this dialog box differs depending on the version.)
- Find and select Acrobat or Adobe Reader:
- If the Disable button is displayed (as shown above), the add-on is enabled and no action is required.
- If the Enable button is displayed, click Enable.
Note: Visit the Adobe Reader Help and Support page for assistance with other Reader top issues.
