How to use the online PDF reader
- 1 Drop your PDF on the box, or click browse to choose it.
- 2 Move between pages with the arrows, the page number box or the thumbnails.
- 3 Zoom with the buttons or choose Fit width or Whole page, and rotate if the page is sideways.
- 4 Type a word in the search box and press Find, then click a result to jump to that page.
Reading PDFs comfortably
Use Fit width on phones and full screen for long documents. To search the text outside the reader, extract it with PDF to Text; to add notes or highlights, open the file in Edit PDF.
- Click the page and use the arrow keys to turn pages.
- Rotate sideways scans with the rotate button.
- Scanned PDFs cannot be searched.
Features
Fast page viewing
Sharp pages at any zoom, with thumbnails.
Search the whole PDF
Lists every match with its page and surrounding words.
Full screen and rotate
Comfortable reading on any device.
When to use it
Computers without a PDF app
Open PDFs on shared or work computers where you cannot install software. To print or save pages as images, use PDF to JPG.
Checking downloads
Look through a PDF before printing or forwarding it. To count pages and see details, use the PDF Page Counter.
Finding information quickly
Search long manuals, contracts and reports for a word or name.
Phones and tablets
Read PDFs comfortably with fit-to-width zoom.
Related PDF tasks
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install anything?
No. The reader runs in your web browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The file is opened directly in your browser and never leaves your device, so confidential documents stay private.
Why can't I search my PDF?
Scanned PDFs contain pictures of text rather than real text, so there is nothing to search. Text-based PDFs made from Word or other apps can be searched.
Can I open password-protected PDFs?
Not in this reader. Remove the password first with Unlock PDF if you know it.
Can I fill in forms or add notes?
This tool is for reading. To add text, highlights or boxes, use Edit PDF, and to sign, use Sign PDF.
How do I go to a specific page?
Type the page number in the box and press Enter, or click a thumbnail on the left.
Can I use the keyboard?
Yes. Click the page and use the left and right arrow keys or Page Up and Page Down.
Does it work with large PDFs?
Yes. Pages are drawn one at a time, so even documents with hundreds of pages open quickly. Thumbnails are shown for the first two hundred pages.
Can I print from the reader?
Use your browser's print command while viewing, or download the file and print it from your PDF app. For printing selected pages only, extract them first with Extract PDF Pages.
Will the reader keep my file after I close the page?
No. Nothing is saved. Closing or refreshing the page clears the document from memory.
How this tool works. These PDF tools run entirely in your browser using two widely used open-source libraries: PDF.js, the PDF engine built into Firefox, to read and render pages, and pdf-lib to create and edit files. Each tool is tested with typed documents, phone scans and photo-heavy files before it goes live, and nothing you open is sent to a server.
Built and reviewed by Hamza Farooq, founder and lead developer
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