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
Aditi_Gangwar appreciate what you are doing for PDF reader.
One suggestion is that could you add back single page mode (non-scroll) and two-page mode which are supported in the old Edge?
They're important functionalities to me which block me from migrating to the new Edge as the main browser.
Thanks.
It's a great news Edge support navigate PDF by bookmarks.
Maybe create bookmarks by Edge is in plan? If does, Edge can almost replace my PDF readers.
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Aditi_Gangwar Great job so far.
The PDF reader was the feature that made me leave Chrome and come to Edge.
The only thing I miss is the support for pen highlight
vygadekamarcosbarreto highlighting with pen is shipping in Edge version 86. Please to check it out. Already available in Beta.
Hi,
Please put an option to crop the PDF. Many PDFs have unnecessary blank borders. An option for Manual/Auto cropping of white borders will be very good. It will increase the area of viewing rather than zooming everytime. Aditi_Gangwar
Thank you for such an wonderful piece of software
Here are the things I would like to see within PDF's on edge.
- The ability to convert a pdf into a word document.
- The ability to make a PDF that has been scanned or not text searchable to be made so that you can search for text within the pdf. Also the ability to search for text that is written with ink or typed into the PDF.
- A way to sign the PDF on computers that aren't touch screen or have a pen-like MacBooks and desktops.
- Improved signing on PDF's with your finger or a stylus that is not a pen since using your finger or a stylus can create eligible and choppy signatures.
- An email, share, or export PDF's within edge.
- password protect your PDF"s within edge.
- Having the ability to blur sensitive data when filling out a PDF. Nowadays important documents come in the form of PDFs. Having the ability to blur sensitive data that you fill out in the PDF within edge should only allow you and anyone else who has access to it to be able to see the sensitive data such as bank accounts, credit card info taxes, and anything that would be in the Onedrive vault to be blurred out so that no one can have access to it except for the person who has access to the file.
- The ability to fill out a PDF by speaking like speech to text.
Aditi_Gangwar
As more and more on my customers are working with PDF files directly from Teams, do you think that could be possible to open the PDF files in Edge with all that great new features coming instead of keeping these PDF files opening in the Teams client with this very poor PDF experience?
Or at least, if we could get a link in the Teams PDF reader to open the PDF document in Edge.My customers would be soooo thankfull 🙂
Aditi_Gangwar Google Chrome has the feature I was describing, but no 'Read Aloud' feature so while I will continue to use Edge for PDFs, I think this would be a great addition.
Aditi_Gangwar all of the PDF tools have been amazing! I have been using Edge for everything, but when I found the PDF features I was really excited. As far as suggestions for new features I am wondering if it is possible that when Edge opens a PDF and if it is a book, can it bookmark and show a clickable tree-view of the chapter titles so we can just click on it to jump to that part of the 'book' PDF? I was also wondering if it is possible to turn the page into 2 columns instead of one so it would be more like reading a book, and maybe if you clicked on the edge of the 2nd column it 'turns the page'. Thanks for everything you guys have done! Hopefully I'll join you someday!
Thank you for the insight on your roadmap!
I would like to make some suggestions (maybe some of them have already been adressed), in hopes that one day they can be implemented:
- Enable counter-clockwise rotation.
- Enable inserting images (from archive or pasted from clipboard).
- Include a selection tool (it would be great if it could be both a lasso to use with pen or fingers and a square/rectangular one). Allow this selection to be erased, copied to clipboard, highlighted, etc...
- Include, in the draw utility, some transparent inks (similar to a highligter), to allow for writing over text without obscuring it (I am thinking of e.g. marking an entire page as draft).
- Include an "insert shape" tool, to allow us to insert arrows, squares, circles... without having to draw them directly with ink.
- Enable presure sensitive ink as an option (fixed pen width is also very useful).
- Include an "open pdf" button or option in menu, with previous opened pdfs history available.
And finally, though it would not be a pdf reader characteristic per se, but rather an Edge feature... if possible, allow for the pdf editing tools (drawing, highlighting, etc) to be used directly on webpages, and allow a "save as pdf" option. Or, if this is not possible, allow a "save as pdf" option for websites (and then we can work with them directly in the reader as a normal pdf).
Thank you very much in advance!
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