Chrome for Android can now open PDF files without the need for a third-party app.
The browser’s new native function is currently working for Android 15.
Previously, this feature was locked behind a flag.
In the past, if you wanted to view a PDF file while on Chrome for Android, you would have to open it in a different app. This was because Chrome for Android lacked a native PDF reader. But that has now changed, and you can finally start viewing these files without having to leave the browser.
Google has now rolled out native PDF support for Chrome on Android. We have spotted the feature working on Android 15, but we have yet to see if it’s also available on older versions of Android.
The PDF reader in Chrome for Android offers a built-in annotation function that can be accessed by tapping on the pencil icon. This will bring up a bar that includes buttons for a pen, highlighter, eraser, undo, redo, and visibility. For the pen and highlighter, you can pick the line width and choose what color you want to use. As you can guess, eraser allows you to erase an annotation. Tapping on the arrows will undo or redo your last annotation. And the eye icon will allow you to scroll through the document so you can make annotations elsewhere. The bar can also be relocated to the top of the page by holding and dragging.
Ryan McNeal / Android Authority
You can also use Chrome’s built-in search from the menu to find text throughout the document. Tapping on the up or down arrows next to the text field will take you to each instance of that word.
A flag for native PDF support (Open PDF Inline on Android) was first spotted in the app in February of last year, but it didn’t work at the time. There was also an “Open PDF Inline on Android pre-V” flag that lets Chrome open these files on devices running Android 12 or later. The feature finally started working in December, but it has been locked behind these flags until now.
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