After announcing that ChatGPT will be integrated into Edge and Bing, Microsoft has revealed another novelty that will come to its browser soon: integration with Adobe Acrobat PDF, the most popular PDF file reader in the world. With it, Microsoft Edge users will have many improvements when editing and opening these documents on PCs.
The novelty is the result of a partnership between Microsoft and Adobe that will bring the document reader in PDF format to the browser for Windows 10 and 11 from March 2023.
Among the improvements cited are greater fidelity of colors and graphics, performance, accessibility and security when handling files of this type in the browser without the need to install a program or an extension in Microsoft Edge.
Additionally, those using Microsoft Edge to open PDF files will continue to have access to features such as improved text selection and aloud narration.
Those who have the premium version of Adobe Acrobat will be able to access all the benefits directly from the browser, but Microsoft says that all the functions mentioned today will be free for all users. Features like editing text and images, converting PDFs to other file formats, and merging files will require an Adobe subscription.
The transition from Microsoft Edge’s native PDF reader to Adobe Acrobat PDF will be gradual. The legacy reader of this file type will be removed from the browser in March 2024.
Finally, Ashley Still, senior vice president and general manager of Adobe, commented on the partnership with Microsoft:
PDF is essential for modern business, accelerating productivity in a world where automation and collaboration are more critical than ever. By bringing the global standard in PDF experience to Microsoft Edge and the billions of Windows users around the world, Adobe and Microsoft are using our joint heritage and expertise in productivity to take an important step towards making work and modern, safe and connected life a reality.
