How to View Comments in PDF: 5 Free Ways (2026)

PDF comments come in two forms: visible text annotations that appear in almost any reader, and collapsed sticky notes that only open when you click the note icon. Some readers — especially browser previews — won't expand notes at all, which is why the comments seem to have vanished.

Below are 5 free ways to view PDF comments — in UPDF, Adobe Reader, Microsoft Edge, Chrome, and Mac Preview — plus how to unhide comments that were switched off.

In our testing, opening the same commented contract in Chrome and Edge showed the highlights on hover but never expanded the reply thread; only UPDF and Adobe Reader displayed the full conversation.

Part 1. How to View Comments in PDF With UPDF?

UPDF opens both kinds of comments — visible annotations and collapsed sticky notes — and puts every note into a single Comment list you can scroll, reply to, filter by author, and export. That closed loop is what browser previews can't do: they show a comment on hover but give you no way to work through a thread. Viewing, replying to, and filtering comments are free; exporting an annotated copy adds a trial watermark until you upgrade.

There are three ways to read comments in UPDF: one at a time, all at once, or by unhiding comments that were switched off.

Way 1. View Comments One at a Time

The first method is about viewing comments one by one, and here are the steps to do it:

Step 1. Open PDF in UPDF

You will begin by opening the PDF document in the UPDF application. Open UPDF, then use the open-file button from the top to open the PDF file here. When the PDF file opens, you can see some highlighted sections, which will indicate a comment.

Step 2. Hover over the highlighted content to see comments.

For viewing individual comments in UPDF, especially for the sticky notes and the comments for the highlighted texts, you need to hover the cursor over the highlighted text. While you hover the cursor on it, a box showing the comment text will appear. Or you can click on the sticky note icon to check the contents. For checking multiple comments, you need to repeat the process with every comment.

Way 2. View All Comments at Once

If you want to view all comments simultaneously, follow the steps below in UPDF.

Step 1. Open UPDF and then open the PDF file.

The process starts with double-clicking the UPDF icon and opening the PDF. If you have set UPDF as your default PDF viewer, double-click the PDF file, and it will open in UPDF.

Step 2. Click the Comment button from the bottom left.

Now, navigate the cursor to the left side menu list. There will be a comment button. As you click it, a vertical bar will appear on the right side of the PDF document. It will contain all the comments so you can view them at once. Scrolling through the document while watching the comments will become significantly easier.

You can also delete or export the comments as a PDF.

Also Read: How to Add Comments in PDF in a Few Minutes

Download UPDF for free to open a commented PDF and view every note in one list — installation is free, and Pro features are available when you need export or advanced tools.

Way 3. Unhide Comments That Were Switched Off

If comments were hidden, they won't appear in any reader. Open the PDF in UPDF, click the Comment icon in the left menu, then click the Eye icon to unhide every comment.

Besides viewing the comments in the PDF, you can also find many other annotating features with UPDF as mentioned before. You can watch the video below to learn more about it. And read this review article to know all the features of UPDF.

Also Read: Step by Step Guide on How to Print PDF With Comment

Part 2. How to View Comments in PDF With Adobe Reader

You can use Adobe Reader PC software to view comments in a PDF document. Adobe Reader is a good tool for viewing PDF documents, but the editing features are limited to the paid version. Anyhow, it allows viewing and replying to comments with the following steps:

1. Open PDF in Adobe Reader

The easiest way to open a PDF file in Adobe Reader is by using the " Open With " option. You can right-click the file icon from the available tools and select Adobe Acrobat Reader. Doing so will open the PDF document in Adobe Reader. If you have set it as your default PDF viewer, you simply double-click the file icon, and it will open.

2. Hover or click the Comment button to see the comment.

Adobe Reader provides 2 ways of viewing comments. The first one is hovering over individual comments to see them. However, if you want multiple comments, click the Comment button in the top right. It displays all comments and allows you to reply to them.

Part 3. How to View Comments in PDF With Microsoft Edge

If there is no PDF viewer installed on your PC, you may use Microsoft Edge to view comments with the steps below:

1. Open PDF in Edge

Opening files in Microsoft Edge is simple. Like other tools, you may use the open-with option and select Microsoft Edge from there.

2. Hover the cursor over the highlighted comment icon to display the comment.

The experience of viewing comments in a PDF document is different in the Microsoft Edge browser. Hovering the cursor over a comment or clicking it will not help. Instead, you will see a small comment logo present at the top left side of the comment. You can hover the cursor on this icon to preview the comment. Clicking this icon will display a text box of comments for easier reading.

Edge shows the note icon but won't expand reply threads or let you respond. To reply, open the file in UPDF or Adobe Reader.

Part 4. How to View PDF Comments in Chrome?

Google Chrome is among the most used browsers, and it has PDF viewing capabilities. It also supports working with annotations and viewing comments from other people with these steps:

1. Open PDF in Chrome

If Chrome is your default PDF viewer tool, double-click the PDF file, and it will open in Chrome. Otherwise, using the Open With method, you can click Google Chrome from the list to open your PDF documents.

2. Hover the cursor over the highlight to display the comment.

Google Chrome provides the easiest experience of viewing comments. With it, you only need to hover the cursor over the comment, which will display it. However, for this option to work, annotations must be enabled. If the highlighted text is not showing, click the 3-dots button from the top right and click Annotations to enable. Once enabled, the highlighted text will show, and you can hover the cursor to view the comment.

Chrome only previews comments on hover once Annotations is enabled; it can't reply to or export them. Open the PDF in UPDF when you need to act on the comments.

Part 5. How to View PDF Comments in Preview?

If you are a Mac user, you can use the built-in Preview option to check the comments in the file. The process is very simple and requires enabling a few options with the steps below.

1. Open PDF in Preview

For Mac users, if they don't have any other PDF viewer tool installed and set as the default, their PDF document will open in the Preview app. So, you can double-click the PDF file icon, and it will automatically open inside Preview. Here, you need to go to the view tab and, from there, enable the following options:

• Always show sidebar
• Highlights and notes

2. Scroll through the sidebar to see comments.

As you see from the document, it will show the highlighted text that contains the comment, but there will be no option to see the comment. Clicking or hovering the mouse over that text won't do anything. So, you need to navigate to the sidebar to see all the comments. It is also the place where you can answer the comments.

Preview lists notes in the sidebar but can't reply to or export them — use UPDF's Comment list for a full review loop.

Part 6. FAQS About Viewing PDF Comments

Conclusion

If a PDF looks empty, the comments are almost always collapsed or hidden rather than gone — clicking the Comment icon, or unhiding notes, brings them back in any of the five tools above. When you also need to reply to a thread, filter by reviewer, or export a clean comment summary, UPDF's Comment list handles the whole review loop in one place.

Download UPDF for free to open a commented PDF and view every note in one list — installation is free, and Pro features are available when you need export or advanced tools.