Changing Default PDF Viewer on SharePoint Online

Question

Changing Default PDF Viewer on SharePoint Online

Sertan Kasikara 0

Hi. I need help with the SharePoint Online. We tried to change default pdf viewer when an user opens a pdf file but it opens on Adobe Document Cloud by default. We changed the "Opening Documents in the Browser" setting to "Open in browser" in SharePoint library settings and removed Adobe Document Cloud from enterprise apps in Entra but none of them worked. Files still open in Adobe Document Cloud. We also set the Microsoft Edge NewPDFReaderEnabled policy via Intune. It worked on a couple of SharePoint sites that I own(it opens .pdf files in preview mode though, not in the browser), but not on the ones that I don’t.

How can we force SharePoint to open pdf files only in Sharepoint not through third-party apps?

Thanks

Sertan Kasikara 0 Reputation points

2026-04-17T20:36:43.8866667+00:00

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for the reply. When we removed the application, users started getting the screenshot below so we had to reinstall the application to avoid disruptions. We only waited for a short amount of time though. We will give more time for its removal next time then.

The interesting part right now is after pushing out the aforementioned policy, some sites still run the pdf files in SharePoint preview mode but the others are not and open with Document Cloud again. Would you happen to know the reason?

Thanks,

Sertan
Ryan-N 12,660 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-17T22:30:39.0433333+00:00
Hi @Sertan Kasikara,

Thank you for your response.

The differences observed between sites may be caused by the following reasons:

The policy may not have been applied to all sites yet and could currently apply only to the sites that you own or manage.

The synchronization process has not been fully completed, resulting in some sites being updated while others are not.

While waiting for Microsoft Entra to complete the removal of Adobe Document Cloud (which typically takes around 24–36 hours), you can apply the workaround below. This workaround may help ensure that PDF files always open using the default PDF viewer instead of Adobe Document Cloud.

Switch to Classic Experience in SharePoint

You can change the Document Library view to Classic Experience. In this mode, PDF files will open using the default PDF viewer.

Steps:

Step 1: Go to the Document Library in SharePoint

Step 2: Select Settings > Library settings > More library settings

Step 3: Select Advanced settings

Step 4: Under List experience, select Classic experience

After completing these steps, the SharePoint Document Library will be displayed in Classic View.

If the Document Library does not switch to Classic Experience immediately, you can manually click “Return to classic experience.”

Result

After switching to Classic Experience, PDF files will open using the default PDF viewer instead of Adobe Document Cloud.

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.

I look forward to continuing the conversation.
Ryan-N 12,660 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-18T20:21:58.6133333+00:00

Hi @Sertan Kasikara,

I would like to check in and ask how things are going on your end, and whether the issue has been resolved. Previously, I shared a workaround with you, and I hope that this temporary solution has been effective in addressing the issue you were experiencing.

If you have any updates regarding the issue, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to share. I will be happy to continue supporting you.

2 answers

Your answer

Sertan Kasikara 0 Reputation points

2026-04-17T20:36:43.8866667+00:00

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for the reply. When we removed the application, users started getting the screenshot below so we had to reinstall the application to avoid disruptions. We only waited for a short amount of time though. We will give more time for its removal next time then.

The interesting part right now is after pushing out the aforementioned policy, some sites still run the pdf files in SharePoint preview mode but the others are not and open with Document Cloud again. Would you happen to know the reason?

Thanks,

Sertan
Ryan-N 12,660 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-17T22:30:39.0433333+00:00

Hi @Sertan Kasikara,

Thank you for your response.

The differences observed between sites may be caused by the following reasons:

The policy may not have been applied to all sites yet and could currently apply only to the sites that you own or manage.

The synchronization process has not been fully completed, resulting in some sites being updated while others are not.

While waiting for Microsoft Entra to complete the removal of Adobe Document Cloud (which typically takes around 24–36 hours), you can apply the workaround below. This workaround may help ensure that PDF files always open using the default PDF viewer instead of Adobe Document Cloud.

Switch to Classic Experience in SharePoint

You can change the Document Library view to Classic Experience. In this mode, PDF files will open using the default PDF viewer.

Steps:

Step 1: Go to the Document Library in SharePoint

Step 2: Select Settings > Library settings > More library settings

Step 3: Select Advanced settings

Step 4: Under List experience, select Classic experience

After completing these steps, the SharePoint Document Library will be displayed in Classic View.

If the Document Library does not switch to Classic Experience immediately, you can manually click “Return to classic experience.”

Result

After switching to Classic Experience, PDF files will open using the default PDF viewer instead of Adobe Document Cloud.

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.

I look forward to continuing the conversation.
Ryan-N 12,660 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-18T20:21:58.6133333+00:00

Hi @Sertan Kasikara,

I would like to check in and ask how things are going on your end, and whether the issue has been resolved. Previously, I shared a workaround with you, and I hope that this temporary solution has been effective in addressing the issue you were experiencing.

If you have any updates regarding the issue, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to share. I will be happy to continue supporting you.

Answer 1

Hi @Sertan Kasikara,

I understand that you have removed Adobe Document Cloud from Microsoft Entra so that PDF files can be opened using the default viewer.

Normally, once Adobe Document Cloud has been successfully removed, the integration between SharePoint and Adobe should be terminated.

Could you please provide the following information:

1/ According to Adobe’s official documentation, after removing Adobe Document Cloud from Entra, the system typically requires 24–36 hours to ensure the application is fully removed.

You may refer to the related documentation here:

Uninstall Acrobat for SharePoint and OneDrive

This link is shared by community members for your convenience. It points to a third-party site that is not managed or verified by Microsoft. We can’t guarantee the quality, safety, or suitability of any content or software found there. Please review carefully and make sure you understand any potential risks before using it.

User's image

How long has it been since you removed Adobe?

2/ Please make sure that Adobe add-ins are not installed in your browser.

In addition to Adobe Document Cloud, I recommend that you also remove Adobe Acrobat from the Microsoft Entra Admin Center.

This is an add-in that allows files to be edited directly in the browser, and in some cases, it may still affect how SharePoint opens PDF files.

Based on the information you provide, I will be able to offer the most appropriate and effective guidance.

I look forward to your response.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Sertan Kasikara 0 Reputation points

2026-05-04T14:25:50.5433333+00:00

Hi Ryan,

Apologies for replying late. I followed your instructions and successfully uninstalled Adobe Reader. However, I also found out that SharePoint's viewer is lack of many significant features(comments, signatures) we use everyday. I tried "Open in app" to open PDF files in local Acrobat Reader, it started OneDrive and opened Reader but as soon as I want to save the file, it saves to my local OneDrive cloud not the original SharePoint location. Is it possible to save PDF files back to SharePoint in anyway?

Thanks,

Sertan

Answer 2

SharePoint itself does not provide a setting to force PDFs to open only in a native “SharePoint PDF viewer” and block all third‑party handlers. The behavior is controlled by a combination of:

How the library is configured to open documents (client vs browser)
WOPI / Office Web Apps / Office Online PDF handling
The browser’s own PDF support and any registered handlers (such as Adobe)

From the available information:

In classic SharePoint with Office Web Apps / Office Online Server, PDF files can be configured to open either in Word Web App or in the default PDF reader on the client. This is done via WOPI bindings and the OpenInClient feature. For example, farm‑level behavior can be changed with New-SPWOPIBinding and Set-SPWOPIBinding, and the OpenInClient feature can override those bindings so that documents open in the client application instead of the web app.
At the site collection or library level, the Open Documents in Client Applications by Default (OpenInClient) feature and the Opening Document in the Browser setting only control whether Office documents open in the browser or in the client application. They do not provide a way to force PDFs to open in a specific first‑party viewer and block third‑party integrations.
Microsoft is deprecating PDF viewing via Microsoft 365 for the web and related integrations. OneDrive, for example, no longer uses Microsoft 365 for the web for PDF viewing, and the Cloud Storage Partner Program explicitly does not include PDF viewing. Modern browsers are expected to handle PDFs natively.
On mobile, PDF viewing via Office Web Apps / Office Online Server is not supported; the mobile browser shows an error and the feature has been removed from the WOPI actions for WordPDF.

Given these behaviors, there is no supported configuration in the provided material that would:

Force all SharePoint Online PDF opens to use a built‑in SharePoint viewer, and
Prevent Adobe Document Cloud or other third‑party handlers from being used, across all sites, purely from SharePoint settings.

Control over which PDF handler is used is primarily at the browser/OS level (for example, Edge PDF reader, Adobe extension, or other handlers) and via any enterprise integrations that may be registered. SharePoint’s documented controls focus on Office document types and on whether to open in browser vs client, not on selecting a specific first‑party PDF viewer over third‑party apps.

References:

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Changing Default PDF Viewer on SharePoint Online

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