How to Disable New Acrobat? (Easy and Fast)

Adobe Acrobat's redesigned interface can feel unfamiliar or slow to understand for many users. So, if you've ever wondered how to disable new Acrobat and revert to the previous one, you’re not alone.

In this guide, we’ll explain what “disable new Acrobat” actually means and compare the new Acrobat with the old one. Besides, we will also walk you through simple steps to disable or enable the new Acrobat right from the Acrobat menu.

As you explore these options, you’ll also discover UPDF, a user-friendly Acrobat alternative that lets you edit and convert PDFs with ease. Ready to regain control of your PDFs? Read this article to the end and try UPDF by clicking the button below!

Part 1. What Does Disable New Acrobat Mean?

Disabling the new Acrobat means switching back to the previous version’s look and feel. Adobe regularly rolls out a redesigned experience, with new tool layouts and workflows that some users find confusing.

Thus, when you disable new Acrobat Reader, you’re opting out of Adobe’s updated interface and features. The following are some elements that might be back when you restore the old look:

Classic Toolbar Layout: Restoring familiar tool icons and menus.

Legacy Menu Structure: Bringing back legacy dropdowns under File, Edit, View, and so on.

Original Navigation Panels: Using the old sidebar and pane arrangement for tools like comments, bookmarks, and attachments.

By reverting to the classic interface, you regain the workflows you’re accustomed to and avoid potential performance hurdles. Now that you understand what disabling the new Acrobat entails, let’s compare the new and old versions side by side.

Also Read: [Solved] How to Repair Adobe Reader: 7 Ways to Fix

Part 2. New Acrobat vs. Old Acrobat: Key Differences

Adobe’s newer Acrobat interface focuses on a modern, touch-friendly design, while the classic version remains menu-driven and keyboard-centric. Below is a detailed comparison between the essential aspects of both:

With those key differences in mind, let’s move on to the practical steps for disabling the new Acrobat interface.

Part 3. How to Disable New Acrobat?

Those who prefer the familiar Acrobat interface can disable new Acrobat from the Acrobat menu in just a few clicks, as shown below:

Step 1: Launch Adobe and Access the Menu

First, open the Adobe Acrobat app once you have downloaded and installed it on your PC. Then, tap the hamburger icon of “Menu” from the top-left corner, which will open a dropdown list of options.

Step 2: Disable New Acrobat and Restart the App

Now, choose the “Disable new Acrobat” option from the list and relaunch the Adobe Acrobat app. After restarting, you’ll see the classic interface of this PDF reader restored.

Now that you’ve disabled the new Acrobat, let’s look at how to switch back in case you change your mind.

Part 4. How to Enable New Acrobat?

Follow these simple steps to enable new Acrobat to return to Adobe’s modern interface with its new features and cloud integrations:

Step 1: Open Adobe Acrobat and Access the View Tab

Begin by launching the Adobe Acrobat application and clicking the "View" tab from the top bar. This step will take you to a dropdown menu where you can find various options.

Step 2: Proceed with Enabling New Acrobat Feature

Next, locate the "Enable new Acrobat Reader" option from the newly appeared context menu and select it. Finally, the Acrobat application will be relaunched to apply the updated interface.

After enabling, you may see a loading screen as Acrobat initializes new features. Give it a moment to fully update before exploring. If you’re looking for a faster, more affordable PDF editor with similar or better features, check out our bonus tip below!

Part 5. Bonus Tip: The Best Acrobat Alternative - UPDF

For those who find Acrobat difficult and expensive to use, or are seeking a more cost-effective PDF solution, UPDF is their go-to alternative. UPDF delivers powerful editing, conversion, and collaboration features without overwhelming subscription costs. You can download UPDF via the button below to test it.

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Here’s why UPDF outshines as the best Acrobat alternative:

1. All-in-One PDF Editor: Edit text, images, links, backgrounds, watermarks, and page order directly in your PDF.
2. Batch Conversion: Convert multiple PDFs to or from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML, and image formats in one go.
3. Fill and Sign Forms: Create, fill out, and e-sign interactive forms effortlessly, without any printing required.
4. OCR Technology: Extract text from scanned documents and images, making them fully searchable and editable.
5. Cloud Sync: Store, back up, and access your PDFs across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android via UPDF Cloud.
6. AI Assistant: Summarize, rewrite, or translate business documents with UPDF AI, saving you hours of manual work.
7. Compression and Optimization: Reduce file size without losing quality, perfect for sharing large reports or presentations.
8. Customizable Interface: Configure toolbars and workspaces to match your workflow, whether you prefer a minimal or full-featured setup.
9. Affordable Licensing: One perpetual or subscription license covers all major platforms, avoiding multiple fees.
10. Enterprise Management: Centralize license control and usage monitoring for teams and organizatio

Watch the video below to learn more about UPDF. Or you can read this UPDF review article to learn more.  

Final Words

In short, mastering how to disable new Acrobat ensures you can switch back to a familiar layout whenever you need classic menus and toolbars. You can also learn how to enable new Acrobat here.

However, Acrobat may not be a perfect option as it is very expensive and difficult to use.

That's why many professionals are preferring UPDF to combine versatile PDF editing and AI-driven features in a single platform. Download UPDF today and enjoy a seamless PDF workflow without the need to disable new Acrobat ever again!