How to Read PDFs on Chromebook? (Free Easy Ways)

When you open your PDF in Gmail preview or Google Drive preview, the reading experience is not great. That is why many Chromebook owners search for the most efficient ways to read PDF on Chromebook. Well, there are built-in apps like the Gallery App and Browser that provide a much more efficient experience.

So, this guide will help you learn how to use these two methods to read a PDF on Chromebook.

However, not everyone owns a Chromebook and if you happen to have a Windows PC or a Mac, you must go for the better option which is UPDF. You can download UPDF for free trial on your computer and enhance your PDF reading experience significantly if you are using Windows and Mac computers.

Part 1. Reading PDF on Chromebook with Browser

The first method of reading PDFs on your Chromebook is with a browser. It is useful for scenarios where you need to annotate your PDFs.

Here are the steps to follow on your Chromebook to open the PDF in the browser to read it.

Step 1: Open the “Search” feature on your Chromebook and search for “Files”. From the search results, you need to open the "Files" application on your Chromebook.

Step 2: Click on “Downloads" from the left menu pane in the Files window to access all downloaded files. Click on the desired PDF file to select it and from the "Open" dropdown on top you will select the "View (Default)" option. It will open your PDF document in the browser. Here you can read it as well as use the annotation features if needed.

Part 2. Reading PDF on Chromebook with Gallery App

The Gallery App in ChromeOS is more than just for viewing images and videos. Instead, it brings powerful features for different types of files including PDFs. If you want to get in-depth PDF reading features like filling PDF forms, annotation features more than basics, and PDF signing features then the Gallery App will be a great option for you.

To get such a rich experience of reading PDF documents on Chromebook, you need to open it in the Gallery App, and here is how to do that:

Step 1: Click the “Launcher" from the bottom left and search for "Gallery". Click on the Gallery App icon to open it and then click the "Open PDF" button to open your PDF document.

Step 2: Click “Downloads" from the left pane or any other folder that has your PDF document saved in it. Now, click on the desired PDF to select it and click the "Open” button below to open that PDF. Your PDF will now open in the Gallery App with all the exclusive features displayed in the top menu bar. Now, you can read PDF contents and use other features like zoom, text, annotate, print, etc.

Part 3. Reading PDFs on Windows and Mac

Since not everyone has a Chromebook, many users require an efficient solution to read their PDF documents on Windows or Mac computers.

Windows computers open PDF for reading by default in Microsoft Edge or other default browser.

Meanwhile, the macOS has its Preview application. Both let the users read PDF content, but the experience is not great.

That is where the UPDF application for Mac and Windows computers comes in. It has an extensive range of PDF reading features.

We will explain them one by one in the following. You can watch the below video to learn how to open and read PDF efficiently with UPDF. Or you can click the below button to download UPDF to test all the features.

PDF Reading Features

UPDF provides all the options you would need while reading a PDF file. You can use Zoom to increase the size of documents presented on the screen for better readability. It also offers many reading options which include single-page display, continuous-page display, and split-page display.

And you can read PDF in light and dark mode per your needs.

To support the presentation or to read the content in a non-stop manner, a slideshow option is provided.

To access these features, click “Reader” in UPDF after opening your PDF and all PDF reading features will be available on top.

PDF Preview Plugin

There is a preview plugin that Windows users can get if they wish to make a brief view of a PDF file without necessarily opening it in UPDF. Using this plugin, you can open files from the file explorer and read PDFs right there as it is very convenient.

This is especially helpful for users who have several documents. It provides fast skimming or full reading without going through other tabs. It helps increase organization and productivity while keeping the viewing of documents easy.

To use this feature, you first need to install the “PDF Preview” plugin and select “Preview Pane" in the view option. Then your file explorer will start showing a quick preview of every PDF document without opening it.

UPDF AI

UPDF AI brings a new experience to make the reading and understanding of the contents easier on PDF. Employing summarizing technologies based on artificial intelligence can be helpful for large documents.

The translating feature makes it easy for the users to read the PDFs prepared in other languages. With UPDF AI, you can even turn a PDF into a mind map, which offers a new approach to understanding information.

Such features make UPDF AI a powerful tool for every person who wants to enhance the experience of reading PDFs and understanding their content.

To use UPDF AI, you can use the “ASK PDF" feature to ask anything about the document and its contents. Alternatively, use the "Chat” feature in UPDF AI and use prompts for translating, explaining, or summarizing.

PDF Annotations

When it comes to basic note-taking and highlighting important points on a PDF, then UPDF is packed with functional annotation tools. Users can comment on documents, make shapes, and even underline or highlight what they feel is worthy of reference.

It also includes sticky notes and text boxes in case a reader adds notes during the reading process.

Click “Comment" in the UPDF interface to access all annotation features and you can select one then click to use it in the PDF documents.

Do you want to know what experts think of UPDF’s features and performance as an alternative to Adobe Acrobat? Read UPDF’s detailed review here. Download UPDF on your computers and smartphones for free to try its PDF reading and other features.

Conclusion

Chromebooks run on ChromeOS so the support for applications and software is not as wide as with Windows and macOS. That is why you may find it difficult to get the same PDF reading experience as on other devices. However, this problem will not exist anymore as you have learned to read PDF on Chromebook with the most efficient methods discussed in our guide.

If you are using Windows and Mac, you can use UPDF to read PDF. Just download the UPDF application on your devices and get an exclusive PDF reading experience now. If you like this tool, you can upgrade to pro version at a low price.