For most people, Acrobat Reader is the first app they think of when someone sends a PDF. With the free version you can view, zoom, search, comment, share, fill many forms and add basic e‑signatures, which covers a, b and c for normal home, school and office use. The latest builds also connect to Adobe’s cloud so you can start a file on desktop, add notes on the web, and then sign or review it later on mobile.
In This Article
Key things Acrobat Reader can do
- View and print PDFs with clear text and smooth zoom on desktop, browser and mobile.
- Comment and review using highlights, sticky notes, strikethrough and drawing tools.
- Share for review so other people can open the PDF in a browser tab and comment without even logging in.
- Fill out forms and add typed text into form fields, even on a phone or tablet.
- Sign documents with simple e‑sign tools to place your name or a handwritten style signature.
- Organize pages in some plans by reordering, rotating or deleting pages when you need a quick clean up.
Working with PDFs should not feel like reading a long fairy tale that never ends, and Acrobat Reader tries to keep the interface by making common tools easy to see at the top.
What’s New in Acrobat Reader for 2025
Adobe keeps updating Acrobat Reader very often, and 2025 releases are focused on AI tools, PDF Spaces, and smoother mobile use.
AI Assistant inside Acrobat Reader
Adobe now includes an AI Assistant right inside Acrobat, and the same engine works in Acrobat Reader on many platforms.
This AI Assistant lets you chat with your PDFs using text or even voice so you can ask questions instead of reading every page line by line.
Main AI Assistant abilities in Acrobat Reader:
- Ask questions about your document and get short answers with citations back to the pages and figures it used.
- Summarize long PDFs into clear sections so you can see the main ideas faster.
- Explain charts and tables with special “Figures Q&A” support on mobile.
- Use voice or text prompts, so you can talk to the chatbot or type if you prefer.
PDF Spaces: Turning PDFs into Knowledge Hubs
One of the biggest new ideas is PDF Spaces, which now shows up in Acrobat and Acrobat Reader on desktop and web.
PDF Spaces let you bring many files, links and notes into one shared space, then use AI to pull out insights for you and your team.
What you can do with PDF Spaces:
- Collect PDFs, Office files, text, links and more into one organized space for a project or topic.
- Chat with the whole set of documents at once to get summaries, key points and action items with precise citations.
- Add your own notes, pin key files, and return later to pick up where you left off.
- Share a PDF Space so others can see files, notes and AI answers while still keeping control of who can view or edit.
This feature makes Acrobat Reader feel less like a simple viewer and more like a professional grade research and teamwork tool.
Mobile Updates and Read Aloud
The mobile app for Acrobat Reader also gets constant updates.
Recent versions added better Read Aloud, where each spoken word is highlighted as the app reads, which helps with focus and accessibility.
On phones and tablets you can:
- Work across multiple files at once inside PDF Spaces with the same AI Assistant.
- Edit PDFs, recognize text with OCR, and merge or organize pages using the PDF converter tools.
- Share screenshots faster with auto‑generated links as soon as you capture a screen.
Stability and Bug Fixes
Adobe also ships regular maintenance updates for Acrobat Reader to fix crashes and improve performance.
Recent 2025 builds include patches for issues like hanging on quit on macOS and problems opening some cloud documents, which should make daily work smoother.
Core Acrobat Reader Features in Detail
View, Comment and Share PDFs
Acrobat Reader is built first as a clean, stable PDF reader so you can open even long or complex documents reliably.
From there you can add highlights, notes, stamps and other comments so that feedback stays directly on the page instead of in long email threads.
Useful commenting tools include:
- Highlights and underlines for marking key text in reports or study notes.
- Sticky notes and callouts for longer comments that need more detail.
- Strikethrough and shapes when you want to show what to remove or where to focus.
- Share for review so others can open in a browser, comment, and return feedback without installing heavy software.
Fill Forms and Sign Documents
A big use case for Acrobat Reader is handling forms and signatures. You can type into many PDF forms, tick boxes, and then sign right on the screen, so you do not need to print and scan again.
Form and signing tools:
- Type answers into interactive form fields on any supported device.
- Use simple e‑sign tools to place your name, initials or a drawn signature.
- Collect binding e‑signatures in Acrobat solutions when you connect to Adobe’s broader e‑sign tools.
- Save and re‑use common details so you fill forms faster next time.
Work Together and Collaborate
Acrobat Reader is not only for solo work now. With sharing, comments and PDF Spaces, it becomes a central place where teams plan, review and decide next steps.
Collaboration options include:
- Share links to files so others can open and comment in a browser window.
- Collect comments, sticky notes and highlights from many people in one timeline.
- Use PDF Spaces to gather related documents and chat with them using the AI Assistant, then share that space with coworkers.
Platforms and Ecosystem
Acrobat Reader is available on desktop, web and mobile, including Windows, macOS, web browser, Android and iOS.
Because it is part of the Acrobat family, it can also link to advanced features like deeper editing, export, protection and page organization when you upgrade or add services later.
Our Hands-On Test with Acrobat Reader
- We spent time using Acrobat Reader as the main PDF tool across laptop, browser and phone to see how it feels in real life. Installation from the download section was quick, and the first launch showed a clean home screen with recent files and a left menu that did not feel crowded.
- When I opened a long school report, scrolling and zoom stayed smooth, and adding highlights plus sticky notes was as simple as clicking one toolbar. Sharing that same file as a link let classmates open it in a browser and comment without even signing in, which was impressive way to cut down on back‑and‑forth messages.
- We also tried PDF Spaces for a small research project by pulling in a few PDFs, a web link and some text notes into one space. The AI Assistant inside that space could answer questions about all those files together, show key points with citations, and keep our notes in one place so we did not lose context between days.
- On mobile, the improved Read Aloud with word‑by‑word highlighting made it easier to follow a contract while walking, and the app never felt too heavy on battery. Editing small things like page order or simple text on the go was also handy, even if full layout editing still sits more in the paid Acrobat plans than in the free Acrobat Reader itself.
- Overall, it is impressive tool for students, freelancers and small teams who need strong PDF reading, forms and light editing without paying right away.
Acrobat Reader vs Other PDF Readers
Acrobat Reader lives in a very busy market, with strong rivals like Foxit PDF Reader and Nitro PDF tools.
Foxit PDF Reader focuses on speed and a rich free feature set, while Nitro pushes deeper editing, OCR and business workflows.
| Feature | Acrobat Reader | Foxit PDF Reader | Nitro PDF (Reader / Pro) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free core PDF reader on desktop, web and mobile | Free PDF reader with paid editor options | Paid plans with free trials for PDF Pro and related tools |
| Main Focus | Viewing, sharing, commenting, forms and basic edits with AI and PDF Spaces | Fast viewing, form filling, and lightweight editing tools | Full PDF editing, conversion, OCR and business workflows |
| AI Features | AI Assistant for chat with documents, summaries and cited answers, plus PDF Spaces insights | AI Assistant with reading and translation upgrades in recent versions | AI tools to summarize and answer questions in documents, mainly in higher‑tier products |
| Collaboration | Share for review, comments, and AI‑powered PDF Spaces for teams | Shared reviews and comments with cloud connectors in some editions | Collaboration, analytics and e‑sign in business plans |
| Platforms | Desktop, web and mobile apps including Android and iOS | Windows, macOS, mobile and web reader options | Windows, macOS and iOS with cloud services for teams |
| Best For | Users who want trusted free reader with smart AI and strong form and sign tools | Users who like a fast, lightweight reader with many free tools | Teams needing deep editing, conversion and document workflow control |
In simple terms, Acrobat Reader is great when you are happy with a free, trusted reader plus AI and collaboration, Foxit is nice when you want something lighter but still powerful, and Nitro fits best when your main need is full editing and business‑level workflows.
Who Should Choose Acrobat Reader?
Acrobat Reader is a strong pick if you often receive PDFs to read, sign or review and want something that “just works” across all your devices.
It also makes sense if you want AI help and PDF Spaces for research or projects but are not ready to buy a full editor yet.
It may be less ideal if your daily job is heavy layout editing or bulk PDF conversion, where tools like full Acrobat Pro or Nitro PDF Pro offer more advanced controls.
Still, starting with Acrobat Reader gives you a safe base, and you can always upgrade to more advanced plans in the same ecosystem later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Acrobat Reader really free to use?
Yes, Acrobat Reader is offered as a free PDF reader so you can view, print, share, comment, fill many forms and add basic signatures on desktop, web and mobile without paying. Some advanced tools like deeper editing or extra e-sign features belong to paid Acrobat plans, but the core reader stays free.
What is PDF Spaces in Acrobat Reader?
PDF Spaces is an AI-powered workspace inside Acrobat where you collect multiple files and links into one hub, then chat with them to get summaries, key themes and cited answers. It helps you and your team turn scattered PDFs and documents into a single knowledge space that is easy to share and revisit later.
Can Acrobat Reader edit PDFs or only view them?
Acrobat Reader is mainly a viewer and commenter, but newer versions also let you make some basic edits like adding comments, filling forms, signing and in some plans editing text, images and pages. For heavy editing, conversion and layout changes you would normally move up to full Acrobat Pro or another advanced editor.
License: Freeware.
Download
Mobile apps
- Adobe Acrobat Reader: iOS, Android, Windows Phone
- Adobe Scan: iOS, Android
- Adobe Fill & Sign: iOS, Android
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC 2025.001.20458 for Windows 64-bit
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC 2025.001.20458 for MacOS
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