Forum Discussion
MicrosoftRoadmap for PDF reader in Microsoft Edge
Update - March 1st, 2021: We've published an updated version of this roadmap. Check out Aditi's update over here, and we encourage you to continue to drop your PDF reader feedback into the comments of that post!
Over the course of last year, we worked hard on building a powerful PDF reader that fulfils the needs of compatibility, reliability and security for you and your organization.
The feedback we received from you with the Edge Insider builds has been really encouraging, and here are some of the most asked features that are available today, across Windows and Mac:
- Create highlights with Highlight mode: Draw attention to parts of the PDF that you find interesting with Highlights. With Highlight mode, you can now create highlights directly by selecting text, as you would do with a highlighter and paper.
- Fill PDF forms
- Ink on PDF files with colors and stroke width of your choice
- View PDFs in Dark mode
- Open Microsoft Information Protection (MIP) and Information Rights Management (IRM) protected PDF and view permissions
- Accessibility support including keyboard accessibility, screen reader support, and capability to view PDFs in high contrast mode
- Read Aloud
Here are the features we’re currently working on:
- Smoother scroll experience: We are bringing the smooth scroll of Legacy Edge to the modern browser. (Edge 086: In Canary, Dev, and Beta today)
- Table of Contents: You will soon be able to view the contents of PDF files and navigate through the file with the same. (Edge 086: In Canary, Dev, and Beta today)
- Text notes: With this, you will be able to add their own notes to text in PDF files. These notes will travel with the PDF.
- Protected PDF files: Microsoft Information Protection adds a layer of security to your documents. It ensures that only the users who have certain permissions as view, copy, annotate can take those actions on the file. Hence, no matter where the document goes, the data of your organization remains secure.
- Viewing labels of protected files: You will soon be able to view the sensitivity labels
- Viewing MIP files protected in other tenants: This will enable you to view the files protected in other organizations, or in other tenants in the organization.
- Digital signatures: View and validate certificate based Digital signatures on signed files.
- Accessibility improvements: With this, you will be able to fill PDF forms using screen readers, and navigate through PDF documents using caret mode.
We are actively looking at feedback from you about the features you find important.
Please feel free to comment below, or submit detailed feedback through the browser (Shift+Alt+I).
194 Replies
I'm a professor, so it is important, really important, to improve comments in EDGE PDF tool. I'm currently using Foxit PDF to correct students' work and I could switch for Edge if it was possible to make the same comments and highlights, marks, and annotations I do in Foxit.
- Aditi_GangwarHello dcrazevedo,
Improved highlights is currently under development, and will be available soon, and the next in line is comments.
Can you please share the expectations you have around comments, in addition to text being attached to content on PDFs?
你好，不知道为什么我目前依旧无法在Microsoft Edge（最新版）实现PDF的朗读。
- Aditi_GangwarHello yvjiang!
That should definitely not be the case. Can we connect over messages to debug this?
Aditi_Gangwar thank you for sharing and these are what we have been looking for.
- Aditi_GangwarThanks Reza! 🙂
Aditi_Gangwar When can we expect Read aloud feature in pdf in Stable builds?
- Aditi_GangwarHello Shakshyam, It should be available in Stable around the end of July, as per the current plan.
I can't wait for these features! The lack of navigation is the only reason I continue to have the old Edge installed.
Something I would like to see, but is probably a long shot, is a home page for all your PDFs, a library or such. Maybe the location can be selected in settings and an icon can be added to the browser which takes you to your collection which has cover art and file info. Something like Calibre but integrated in to Edge. A man can dream!
EPUB support would be great too, but I digress
- Aditi_GangwarHello Cetheres,
Thanks a lot for your response. Navigation using bookmarks in a document is going to be enabled soon!
Your dreams help us stay on the right path, so please do keep sharing them! 🙂
Thanks a lot for your efforts, we really appreciate that.
But among all these amazing features, there is no "inline-definition" feature 😞
I use it all the time, and I'm still using the legacy Edge for the same reason!!
Me as an English learner, I need my dictionary all the time, in order to listen to the right pronunciation, see phonetic transcription, meaning(s), examples, etc.
Unfortunately, although I've feedback about this feature several times, still there is no plan for it.
I hope that you bring such an amazing and useful feature to the new Edge.
I highly recommend implementing https://languages.oup.com/dictionaries/english-language-learners/oxford-learners-dictionaries-api/ (OALD 10th edition), It's way better than the https://developer.oxforddictionaries.com/ (Lexico).
I'm waiting impatiently to switch to the new Edge browser in reading my lectures, so please add this feature ASAP!- It would be great to have the reading position and annotations synced across devices (android and windows) .
Also open tabs and collections synced with android I would love to be able to move pages within a PDF or add / delete pages from a PDF.
- Aditi_GangwarHello Kent,
Thanks for sharing the feedback.
Can you share the scenarios where the above would be needed?
It'll help ensure that the issue is understood correctly.
Nice, any chance to set the signature od PDF document (hand drawn, or jpg image) , like in Adobe Reader (free) ?
hkusulja Aditi_Gangwar Yes forgot about the ability to insert a JPG or PNG is very helpful as well in Legal space.
vygadeka I work in IT for a Law Firm, we have a mix of both being used, some people prefer to have a PNG available to insert on anything they need including PDFs, but those with Surface devices also like signing using the pen as well. What we did is capture the Sig for the users using Paint3D and transparent canvas during save of the PNG to get our custom company color for the ink.
Hello Aditi_Gangwar
MS Edge doesnt recognize active pen on Surface devices. It would be fine to INK with pen and scrolling with fingers like in MS Whiteboard.
Thanks!
Filip
Filip Paďourek What's shocking is that on a Microsoft computer (Surface Book 2) using a Microsoft Pen, inking with Edge is unusable. The most natural use of a pen -- to mark up a document -- and NOTHING on the roadmap mentions making Edge work with a pen. I tried the newly touted highlighting feature using a pen. Nothing happens. Out of frustration, I tried a double-tap, and some random bit of the document was selected (I think closer to where I had my hand than where the tip of the pen was). No joy there. Tried dragging the pen again -- nothing.
I think Filip Paďourek was admirably polite -- the lack of pen support on a pen-enabled Microsoft machine boggles the mind.
vygadekaFilip Paďourek it is currently in the backlog to add a manual switch to turn on/off inking with touch. Currently, we have enabled panning/scrolling/zooming with two fingers while inking. You can also use the margins to scroll. Let me know if that helps.
-Vyankatesh Gadekar
Program Manager, Microsoft Edge
vygadeka Thanks! While this works, it is not optimal - as you often end up changing the zoom as it is rather difficult to keep your fingers the same separation. The old Edge allows single finger scroll, which means that you can move quickly through documents in a way that is not possible with the new edge. Actually, this is the only reason I keep using the old edge for PDF mark up.
I am often reading research PDF's and marking them up. Length is 20-200 pages. I need to be able to quickly read through them, sometimes stopping for a careful read of 3 or 4 pages. And then resume scanning.
When I have my pen I pretty much *never* use my finger to ink.
