Edge on Android isn't available for opening PDFs

[HotCakeX]

Android 9 pie and latest version of Edge Android beta, in the file manager when I "Open with" on PDF file, Edge isn't available.

I'd like the same features we have on desktop, Mac, Linux to be available on Android and IOS too.

if you want the same, please send a feedback through Edge browser about this. thank you

[#2]

Edge is not available, because it does not support PDF on Android, and will not support it until PDF on Android will be supported by the Chromium upstream. Google will not do it, because Google Drive, which is preinstalled on 99% Android devices has a very basic PDF viewer, which is completely native. Microsoft could extend it, but I see that the current desktop's Edge PDF viewer is hybrid - the renderer is native (the same is in all Chromium-based browsers, and it's actually something similar to Adobe Flash plugin), but the UI is built on web technologies, which require browser rendering engine.
I don't think they will be able to port it until Android's Chromium doesn't support native plugins. Also I don't think it will be possible, so we hardly see PDF viewer embedded in Edge on Android. Unlike Windows (or any desktop OS), there is a lot apps in Play Store that allow you to Ink on PDF. And Edge APK is already pretty large, and adding PDF viewer will make it even larger.

[#3]

@msekmfb1 

They can easily make the .apk file size smaller starting by getting rid of the useless components such as Newsguard and adblock plus, and then maybe after years, update the Chromium from 77 to 87.

if the file size gets slightly bigger it will be worth it's the same as installing a separate app that occupies space.

Yes, there are lots of apps on Android for PDF but the same goes for Desktop, even more actually, Windows store and Win32 programs, paid and open source.

not all phones have Google drive preinstalled, especially Samsung devices that are the most popular ones and have deals with Microsoft to install Microsoft Launcher, OneDrive, Your Phone etc.

Huawei devices are another popular brand that don't have good relationship with Google and no reason to advertise for Google apps. but these are only 2 companies out of many that make Android phones.

I think Microsoft can push this to Chromium if they want to, just like they contributed lots of code in the past 2 years to Chromium project.

or, fork the Chromium Android.

lots of possibilities 

[#4]

Why AdBlock Plus is useless? It's the one of two reasons to use Edge on Android (the first - syncing with PC).
By mentioning that Google Drive is preinstalled on the most of devices I mean Edge PDF viewer demand will be low. Talking about Samsung devices, there's Samsung Notes which have ability to Ink on PDFs is preinstalled side by side with Drive.
I'm sure embedding PDF viewer into Chromium Android tab is a fundamental and hard work, so I don't think there's a reason to shift their attention from adding new features an fixing bugs to that.
In addition to that, very little people view PDFs on their phones, because it doesn't support normal zooming. So there's a little chance Edge could compete with Android PDF editing apps, of which there are a lot, compared to PC.

[#5]

@msekmfb1 

adblock plus isn't even comparable to ublock origin. it barely blocks anything if at all. they also take money from advertisement companies to let their ads come through. no ability to add filters etc.

adding PDF viewer to Edge Android is itself a new feature that is worth spending time on.

there is no concrete data to show there are more Android apps than PC, I don't know why you keep saying that lol

[#6]

> adblock plus isn't even comparable to ublock origin. it barely blocks anything if at all. they also take money from advertisement companies to let their ads come through. no ability to add filters etc.
There's not so much browsers developed by companies I can trust, it's Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. Chrome doesn't have AdBlocker at all, when Firefox on Android is much slower than Chromium. So something is better than nothing.

>adding PDF viewer to Edge Android is itself a new feature that is worth spending time on.
I hate reading PDF on phone, because it's very inconvenient, so I always have to switch to my PC.
So there will not a large popularity for Android Edge PDF viewer.
It can be useful only on tablets, but tablets market share is very low.

> there is no concrete data to show there are more Android apps than PC, I don't know why you keep saying that lol
I said a little wrong, there's two points:
*Adobe Acrobat is paid, so we don't talk about it
1) It's much easier to install PDF viewer app on Android, than on Windows: you don't need to find the official binaries (+ the risks to download malware is lower because of (a little bit) Play Store app moderation and Android's permission control), you can see the app reputation (downloads, reviews) right in the store
2) I think if Acrobat were developing today, it will not be paid - it would just contain a lot of ads in free version. I know it's easier and more profitable to have ads on Android app, than on desktop, so there's definitely more PDF apps on Android, than on Windows.

So if I need to Ink on PDF and I don't have Adobe Acrobat (or I don't like it), I will not download paid or suspicious software and will use Edge's reader (+ Edge is preinstalled on Windows).
If I'm on Android, I most like will not read PDF. If I will, I would simply download an app specially designed for PDF editing, or open it in Android stock reader, if I don't need to edit it.

And I need to point that Edge is de-facto Windows default PDF reader, which should be useful, because if you're a regular, not tech-savvy user, you just click on PDF file and it opens in Edge - you don't need to search for PDF reader. If you're on Android, you *firstly* need to install Edge.

[#7]

You hate reading PDF on phone, but we are not talking only about you.
and because you hate, you conclude that "So there will not a large popularity" ...

i know people that like to read books and novels on phone because it's mobile and you can carry it anywhere.

OneDrive PDF reader in Android (or maybe mobile in general since I don't use IOS), is great. it has PDF annotation and everything.
I don't know what's preinstalled on Iphones for PDF, but if Edge could at least have the same PDF functionalities as OneDrive it would suffice.
they need to overhaul the whole app anyway since it's using a very old Chromium version and it's missing lots of functionalities. it's more than 1 year old. so maybe they could throw PDF support in while doing it.

[#8]

You can't set defaults on iOS outside of mail and browsers on iOS. You use Preview to view PDFs opened from Files and you use Safari to view PDFs from the web.

[#9]

Thanks, well in that case I think an Edge browser with built in PDF support + annotation + sticky notes + digital signing etc. would be very useful.

[#10]

@HotCakeX People usually reading books on phone in convenient formats, such as FB2/EPUB - PDF is usually used for documents. PDF usually is A4, so you need to use horizontal scroll every time you're reading PDF on small screen. Everybody hate that, it is not comfortable and infuriating - so a very little people open PDF on phone - that's why it will not have a popularity, but it will definitely affect app size. Have you ever tried to read PDF book on phone?

Why do you think somebody will use Edge PDF viewer, when they have a stock one? Nobody will install entire web browser just for inking on PDF, because the people who actually need it, can install a separate PDF app with inking & library for quick access the latest documents.

I think this is nothing more than "feature for feature"

[#11]

Talking about "people" instead of "yourself" is not a good idea. just talk about yourself, not on behalf of people.
Edge is necessary because it's a browser, if it has PDF capabilities, even better.

[#12]

I think you've never read PDF on small mobile phone screen, so you are the one who speaks on your behalf. Good luck reading this - that's why literally nobody reads books in PDF - at least on mobile phone. If you bought/downloaded book somewhere, it is always available not only in PDF, but also in EPUB, what is perfect for reading.

Spoiler

[#13]

@msekmfb1 

Spoiler

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@msekmfb1 wrote:

I think you've never read PDF on small mobile phone screen, so you are the one who speaks on your behalf. Good luck reading this - that's why literally nobody reads books in PDF - at least on mobile phone. If you bought/downloaded book somewhere, it is always available not only in PDF, but also in EPUB, what is perfect for reading.

Spoiler

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don't think.

you don't get what I said? I said you better speak about yourself, not on behalf of other people.

I am speaking about myself and a few others I know, that read PDF on phone.

there is pinch to zoom gestures.

[#14]

So you have to use horizontal scroll even more often than vertical scroll. IIRC, even W3C said recently that PDF on mobile is pain.

I'm just explaining why they will not add it to Android.

[#15]

You are not explaining anything, you can't talk on behalf of Edge developers eithers.
reading PDF on mobile devices is not a pain.

[#16]

You will remember that after a while, lol, because they will never tell you about it. I see you very rarely read A4 PDF format with small font, because it definitely a pain when you're doing horizontal scroll more time, than actual reading. My colleagues are ready to kill me when I send a PDF to their phone. This is the same as opening this site on a mobile phone with the viewport tag off, or in PC mode. The one case in
Here, almost no one thinks about expediency. And you really think they will spend time on such big work, if they still not even upgrade Chromium version on Android?
Be realistic, if everyone was comfortable reading PDF on a mobile phone, there would be no need for other formats in the first place, and all sites would look as shallow as PDF in the second.
95% of the proposals here just drown in the list, and no one even explains why they will not actually be implemented, although this is obvious when you think about it. The functionality for working with PDF on a PC is at least for me it is a killer-feature, if there is such a thing on Android, almost everyone will be indifferent, and it will one day be just as imperceptibly removed as the Homegroup in Windows 10 1903, because one and a half people used it.
The only case where the viewer on Android would make sense is if you could change the font size while maintaining the aspect ratio. There is such a function in Adobe Reader on Android, but very often at this time the entire layout moves out, because if you know the history of PDF creation, it was generally intended only for printing, not for reading, and therefore it cannot be called flexible.

[#17]

Not everyone has a PC, but almost everyone has a mobile phone.

PDF is best because it's not flexible, it keeps its integrity no matter which device you open it in, so the style, the formation of content etc stays the same.

if PDF for mobile wasn't big, there wouldn't be all those PDF apps for mobile. see, you have contradicting facts lol

[#18]

People most often have to open PDF for work, as this is the format usually used to save documents.

> PDF is best because it's not flexible
Yes, it is the main advantage, but also the main disadvantage, because the content cannot be adaptively scaled

> if PDF for mobile wasn't big, there wouldn't be all those PDF apps for mobile. see, you have contradicting facts lol
If someone needs to open a PDF, they have no other way out anyway - I did not say *nobody* reads PDF on mobile. That does not mean PDF viewer should be embedded in mobile browser. Nobody would install the entire browser just for PDF.

[#19]

People need to install browser anyway, if it has PDF capability then it's better.

lost of PDF apps on store means lots of people use PDF on mobile, so it's good to implement it in Edge.

everything has advantages and disadvantages, nothing is perfect, this applies to PDF too.

[#20]

Initially I was talking about something else at all - a built-in PDF Reader is not needed in a mobile browser, it should be a separate app

If Chrome is already preinstalled on my phone and I can't delete it (and I don't have a lot of disk space) I will not install an entire browser only for PDF