Roadmap for PDF reader in Microsoft Edge

[Aditi_Gangwar]

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).

[#2]

@Aditi_Gangwar 

I'd like to see a button that enables users to directly "Open in Word".  

Perhaps also a button that enables user to open in desktop app for people that might use Adobe etc.  

[#3]

How about leaving the pdf feature in the current browser as it is and creating a new standalone pdf reader based on (legacy) Edge browser codebase? @Aditi_Gangwar 

[#4]

This is a much needed feature. I have to scroll back to hundreds of pages that I had opened last time.

[#5]

@Aditi_Gangwar  We need a feature where we can continue to pages that was last opened. Currently I have to scroll back to pages if I dont remember the page number.

including this, two page viewer is another requirement where we can actually read pdf like a book having two pages side by side.

I also think inking could be more smooth

[#6]

When I annotate a pdf located in Onedrive on ios the changes/annotations are automatically saved on the pdf.
In Windows 10 on new Edge browser I have to save the annotated file locally and then upload it to Onedrive. Very annoying!
Please add the same function on Windows.

[#7]

This!
As an IT consultant I see this blocker all the time - why should a company set Edge as their default PDF viewer if it means they need to deploy and maintain a 3rd party app just to preview PDFs.
I believe this is something Edge needs to configure rather than Outlook, i.e. register itself as a compatible PDF previewer

[#8]

@Aditi_Gangwar I just want to add my voice to this to stress exactly why not previewing PDFs is such a big blocker for the organisations I work with.

The majority of interactions users have with PDFs is either when browsing the web or receiving an email. 

As most organisations use the Outlook Desktop app they are used to the Attachment Preview feature that lets them quickly scan through an attachment without needing to open the full app.

In the past, organisations would always install a 3rd party PDF reader like Acrobat or Foxit to enable this functionality. However, with modern devices using Windows 10 the trend is to use a native app wherever possible, not only reducing the management overhead but also reducing possible malware attack vectors.

So it doesn't matter how great a PDF viewer the new Edge is, if all a user sees is "PDFs can't be previewed" error multiple times a day in Outlook. It is really jarring and interrupts their flow.

We also don't expect 2 apps in the Microsoft ecosystem (i.e. Edge & Outlook) to not take advantage of each other's features.

If this feature was brought in (or at least a proper planned activity) then it would give organisations comfort that Edge is "good enough" (if not better) for the majority of cases for reading PDFs

[#9]

@Aditi_Gangwar  Please improve also the quality of handwrite. The old Edge was the perfect PDF editor. Now it very bad and pixelated. If this will not be improved I have to use another PDF editor. Or is there a way to use again the old version?

[#10]

Using the same program all the time for, let's say PDFs, makes it much easier for me! Please, MS, allow the use of Adobe, Nuance, etc. that is selected in our Control Panel defaults for PDF extension!

[#11]

@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.

[#12]

@tfeyq highlighter support for Pen is coming pretty soon (Edge version 86). We are also working on fixing some of the ink quality issues. I hope that would solve some of these concerns with supporting Pen as good as the previous version of Edge. 

[#13]

@vygadeka This is great news. The other thing that would be wonderful is if scrolling with your finger was fixed. Currently you can't turn off ink-with-finger. And scrolling is with two fingers only, which also does document zoom - which makes a mess of working in a multipage document. If that and the ink quality issues were fixed, I would stop using the old Edge for editing my PDF's.

[#14]

I am so happy with what Microsoft Edge is doing regarding PDF reader. I will be so grateful if you add the percentage of that the user read the pdf book

[#15]

@Aditi_Gangwar

URGENT!!

I found a big issue, if you leave open Edge .pdf files with new draw notes open, when you enter the standbymode, and go back, trying to save the file, it saves, but no notes remain in the files.

Please fix it.

[#16]

Very nice.... the listed features in road map are most full to every one. And also please add some most basic requirement for all like adding and deleting pages in a file. And also add a feature of book marks.

[#17]

@Aditi_Gangwar Hi, thanks for the list! Is there any time estimate on bringing back smooth scroll? Or is the list trying to be chronological at least? As in is smooth scrolling going to be the first priority?

Thanks!
Cheers, Robert

[#18]

---

@Aditi_Gangwar wrote:

• Smoother scroll experience: We are bringing the smooth scroll of Legacy Edge to the modern browser.

God bless you for that feature

[#19]

I am happy that a good PDF reader built into Windows (or at least Edge) is slowly becoming reality, as I long missed that capability and had to install 3rd party products to get what should nowadays be standard operating system functionality.

2 minor comments

• In the pre-Chromium Edge, the built-in PDF reader had an option to view 2 pages side-by-side. This is great if you have a good screen that is wider than high. Is there any chance this will be available in the new Edge as well?
• Another annoying thing is that I always have to go and install when I'm coming to a new system is the PDF iFilter, to enable system search in PDFs. iFilter now comes from Adobe or other 3rd parties. Is there a chance a PDF iFilter functionality gets built into Windows?

I do like turn-key operating systems that come with most of the tools provided. Microsoft is largely there, with the exception of PDF support, which comes built-in or pre-installed on MacOS, iOS, Android.

[#20]

@Aditi_Gangwar 

I'd also like to the navigation pane of headings/bookmarks to appear in Edge aswell.   This is a really useful feature of other PDF readers

[#21]

@Aditi_Gangwar 

Important to me is display signed PDF (pades or certificate based).

also Viewing MIP files protected in other tenants is interesting.

Thanks for going this way!

/peter