Roadmap for PDF reader in Microsoft Edge

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Microsoft

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

Nice, any chance to set the signature od PDF document (hand drawn, or jpg image) , like in Adobe Reader (free) ?

@fahdriyami thanks for the feedback on the inking experience. We are working on making the quality of ink even better. Can you please elaborate on the issues you are seeing while signing with the current experience (vs. any other)? That would help us understand this better and take necessary action. 

 

-Vyankatesh Gadekar

Program Manager, Microsoft Edge

@Filip 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

@hkusulja great suggestion. Just to understand your use case, do you save the ink signature or photo of your signature to use it on documents? Does that make it easier than signing with digital ink? 

 

-Vyankatesh Gadekar

Program Manager, Microsoft Edge

@vygadeka yes, i need to save PDF with my image/signature on it.

(this is not fully electronic signature / certificate / digital signing etc.), just simple add image on the PDF and save it. any plans for this?

If I will have this feature, i can uninstall adobe reader and completely move to Edge Chromium as primary and only PDF reader solution

I would love to be able to move pages within a PDF or add / delete pages from a PDF.

@hkusulja thanks for the details. This scenario is in the backlog. Not currently in the works though. But your input definitely helps prioritize.

 

-Vyankatesh Gadekar

Program Manager, Microsoft Edge 

 

Hello 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.
I would like that too.
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

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 Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary (OALD 10th edition), It's way better than the Standard Oxford Dictionary (Lexico). 
I'm waiting impatiently to switch to the new Edge browser in reading my lectures, so please add this feature ASAP!

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 :lol:

@Aditi_Gangwar  When can we expect Read aloud feature in pdf in Stable builds?

@Aditi_Gangwar thank you for sharing and these are what we have been looking for.

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。

Yes! I can't believe such a feature hasn't been implemented yet. A bookmark feature, in particular, would be super helpful for large PDFs! 

@Aditi_Gangwar 

 

Hmm, that doesn't seem to work for me. My default theme is dark, but the pdf is still on the light theme. 

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_Gangwar A bit disappointed that plans for including the view pages side-by-side option and an option to disable continuous scrolling are missing.

@Aditi_Gangwar 

Thank you to the whole Edge team for their work towards the ultimate modern browser. The rate of development since moving to Chromium has been impressive.

 

The only reason I still have old Edge on my machines is for PDF support. I use my Surface Pro and Surface Pen for making notes in PDF documents and the new Edge is not yet meeting my needs. 

 

In particular the new Edge is missing:

1.  Disabling Continuous Scrolling - I want to be able to swipe once to get to the next page and not have to manually position each page.

2. Disabling finger ink input - I want to be able to use my finger to scroll and use the pen to write.

 

I see that disabling ink is on the road map, but I don't see an option for disabling continuous scrolling. Please add this to the list so I can get rid of the old Edge and move entirely to new Edge.

 

Thanks again for all of your efforts and for this opportunity to give feedback.