Why PDF Open in Edge Instead of Adobe? 3 Fixes

Many Windows users face a common issue that the PDF open in Edge instead of Adobe. This issue is usually due to Edge being set as the default app to open PDFs. You can fix it with a few simple clicks. You can also open specific PDFs in Adobe, regardless of whether Edge is the default app.

In today's guide, you will learn how to open PDF in Adobe not Edge. However, what if we told you that there is a better PDF editor that is six times more affordable than Adobe and can open PDFs by default? This tool is known as UPDF. Download UPDF and test out its capabilities while reading this guide.  

Part 1. How to Open PDF in Adobe Not Edge?

There are multiple ways on how to stop PDF from opening in Edge. You can change the default app, open PDFs by specifically selecting Adobe Acrobat, or change Edge settings. 

Follow the three methods below and their detailed steps to fix this issue:

Method 1: Change the Default App Used by PDF File Type 

The most effective way to avoid PDF open in Edge instead of Adobe is to change the default app for opening PDF file types. Follow the steps below to do so:

1. Open the Settings app on your Windows device.
2. Navigate to Apps > Default Apps > Choose default apps by file type > .pdf > Select Adobe Acrobat.

Once done, try to open a PDF now. You will notice that it will open in Adobe Acrobat by default.

Method 2: Change the Default App for Specific PDFs 

Other than changing the default app, you can also change the app for specific PDFs. For example, you may want to open PDF in Edge that you only want to read, while you may want to open PDF in Adobe that you wish to edit/annotate. Here are the steps to do so:

Step 1. Go to the location where the PDF is stored.

Step 2. Right-click on a PDF > Open with > Select Adobe Acrobat.

This way, the specific PDF will open in Adobe Acrobat, no matter if Edge is set as a default app.

3. Method 3: Change the Microsoft Edge Settings 

You can also have open PDF in Adobe not Edge, by changing the PDF handling settings in Microsoft Edge. The browser is usually configured to open the PDF files internally. So, change the following settings to get it fixed:

Step 1. Open Microsoft Edge, open the address bar, and type: edge://settings/content/pdfDocuments.

Step 2. You will see the PDF Documents settings page. Under "Cookies and site permissions, toggle on "Always download PDF files". 

This option will download all the PDF files and then let you open them in Adobe Acrobat.

By now, we have learned how to stop PDFs from opening in Edge, but there is another crucial and hidden issue. When opened with Edge, we cannot edit PDFs, and Adobe Acrobat is too expensive to use. As a better alternative, users can consider using UPDF. Read the next part to learn more.

Part 2. A Better Alternative to Read and Edit PDF Than Microsoft Edge and Adobe Acrobat

If you look for the best Adobe Acrobat alternatives, you will find many more affordable tools. However, UPDF outperforms Microsoft Edge and Adobe Acrobat in terms of both features and pricing. 

UPDF is a full-fledged PDF editor that has everything you need to read, annotate, edit, convert, and do more with PDFs. 

Let's have a side-by-side comparison of these three PDF viewers and see which one dominates among all:

Aspects	UPDF	Adobe Acrobat Pro	Microsoft Edge
Pricing	$39.99/year (or $69.99 Lifetime)	$239.88/year	Free
Viewing Experience	Modernized & Intuitive with multiple reading modes	Less modern and intuitive navigation	Simple PDF viewing
Edit Text, Images, Links, and Backgrounds
AI Assistant	Extensive capabilities: · Summarize/translate/explain PDF · Generate mind map from PDF · Chat with images · Unlimited per month	Basic capabilities: Summarize/translate/explain PDF · 1000 requests per month
Annotate PDF
Convert PDF
OCR PDF

From the above comparison, it is clear that Microsoft Edge is only useful for basic PDF viewing, while Adobe Acrobat and UPDF provide more advanced features. However, UPDF has an edge over Adobe Acrobat due to modern and feature-packed functionalities and significantly lower pricing. Check out this Adobe Acrobat vs UPDF article to learn about their detailed comparison.

Download UPDF and give it a try before making any commitments.

Part 3. UPDF's Core Features

UPDF is an AI-integrated PDF editor. It offers a modernized interface and diverse features to offer users a unified platform to handle PDFs. Check out the core features of UPDF below and visualize its exceptional value for money:

Edit PDF

UPDF lets you edit all elements on PDFs with its powerful editing options. You can:

• Edit or add text and change font/color/size
• Add, replace, delete, crop, or rotate images
• Add links or attachments
• Edit page size
• Modify PDF background
• Add headers and footers
• Create and add watermarks
• Batch combine PDFs
• Split one PDF into several

Simply put, every PDF editing need is easily fulfilled with UPDF's edit PDF feature.

AI Assistant

UPDF AI assistant is your go-to assistant for chatting with PDFs. You can ask to:

• Summarize the entire PDF, selective pages, or specific content
• Translate entire PDF, selective pages, or specific content
• Explain PDF's complex phrases or concepts
• Convert PDF to mind map for visual-based understanding
• Proofread and rewrite the PDF content
• Chat beyond the PDF scope
• Chat with images

Overall, UPDF AI Assistant elevates the experience of reading and understanding PDFs.  

Annotate PDF

UPDF offers 13 markup tools to help annotate PDFs. These include:

• Highlight
• Underline
• Squiggly
• Strikethrough
• Sticky notes
• Text comment/box/callout
• Add stickers/stamps/signatures

You can choose the annotator of your choice and mark up the PDF. Afterward, you can share the PDF directly via email or a link.

Convert PDF

UPDF can convert PDF to other formats with excellent preservation of data. It can convert Word, PowerPoint, CSV, Excel, RTF, text, image, HTML, etc. It can also convert Word, Excel, PPT, and a few other formats to PDF. 

Feel impressed with UPDF's exceptional functionalities? Now is the best time to get UPDF at a discounted rate. Head to UPDF's pricing page, choose the right plan, and get started!

Conclusion

PDF open in Edge instead of Adobe is a common and fixable issue. As discussed above, you can simply adjust the default app and Edge settings to fix. Alternatively, you can also directly select to open the PDF with Adobe Acrobat. However, if you want the best experience handling PDFs, UPDF is the best alternative to Adobe Acrobat, both in terms of features and cost-friendliness. Therefore, install UPDF, set it as the default PDF app, and enjoy the powerful features.