How to Open and Read PDF Files on Android

This practical guide walks through how to open and read PDF files on Android, explains the main requirements, and highlights common issues that may appear along the way.

To find out if there is an application that opens PDF files, try each potential application one at a time. Go to the file manager on your Android device and find a PDF file on your device. Any application that can open a PDF file will appear in the drop-down menu.

Select one of the applications and the PDF file will open.

If you don't have an app that can open PDF files, you can choose to download one of the following. You can use Google PDF Viewer . This is not a traditional file opening application, so you cannot use it to open files directly. However, it is still listed in the list of applications that can open PDF files.

Also Files by Google is another option. This app is a full file manager with PDF file opening built in the tool. After installing this app on the device, it appears as an option every time you intend to open a PDF file.

However, please note that these apps only allow you to view PDF files. If you need a more feature-rich PDF tool, you should install Adobe Acrobat Reader for Android or something similar.