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For years, Chrome users on desktop computers have benefited from the browser’s integrated PDF viewer. Clicking a PDF link online or opening a downloaded file happens right within a Chrome tab, bypassing the need for external applications for viewing and marking up a PDF. It’s a seamless, convenient feature that I know I take for granted most days.
Unfortunately, this same level of integration hasn’t been available on Chrome for Android, requiring users to rely on third-party apps (usually Google Drive) to view PDF documents. That gap has now been closed. In the latest versions of Chrome for Android, native PDF viewing is rolling out, bringing the mobile browser experience more in line with its desktop counterpart. When you encounter a PDF online or download one using the browser, it will now open directly within a new Chrome tab, just like you’d expect.
With the latest version of Chrome, I can now click on small or massive PDF documents and have them loaded up for viewing quickly right in Chrome. This integration goes beyond simple viewing, too. You can use the standard Chrome menu options to search for specific text within the PDF document. Additionally, an annotation tool is built-in, allowing you to mark up the document as needed. Helpfully, this annotation interface also includes the option to save a new copy of the PDF complete with your markups.
This is definitely one of those features that should have been around a long, long time ago, but one that I’m also very happy to have at my disposal when needed. Whether its marking up something to send it back or simply being able to quickly and seamlessly look over something like menu at a restaurant, having PDF viewing available right in the Chrome browser on Android is a huge help, and you should be seeing it already active in the latest Chrome 135 update.
VIA: Droid Life
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