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A step-by-step guide to turn on and off the PDF viewer in Chrome
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This wikiHow teaches you how to turn the Google Chrome built-in PDF reader on or off on your computer, as well as how to change your default PDF viewer in Windows or macOS.

Turning Chrome's PDF Viewer On and Off

  • In Chrome, click the three-dot menu and go to Settings > Advanced > Content Settings > PDF documents .
  • Use the toggle switch to enable or disable Chrome's built-in PDF viewer.
  • You can also change your computer's default PDF viewer in your Windows or Mac settings.
Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Enabling Chrome PDF Viewer

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  1. It's in the Applications folder on macOS, and the All Apps area of the Start menu on Windows.
  2. It's near the top-right corner of Chrome.
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  3. It's at the bottom of the page.
  4. It's in the “Privacy and security” section, toward the bottom of the list.
  5. It's near the bottom of the list.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Disabling Chrome PDF Viewer

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  1. It's in the Applications folder on macOS, and the All Apps area of the Start menu on Windows.
  2. It's near the top-right corner of Chrome.
  3. It's at the bottom of the page.
  4. It's in the “Privacy and security” section, toward the bottom of the list.
  5. It's near the bottom of the list.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Changing the Default PDF Viewer in Windows

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  1. It's in the left column.
  2. A list of file types will appear along the left side of the window, with each associated app on the right. [2]
  3. The current default viewer appears to the right of this entry.
  4. For example, if it's currently set to Google Chrome, click Google Chrome . A list of apps that can read PDFs will appear.
  5. The selected app will now open PDFs on your PC by default.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Changing the Default PDF Viewer on macOS

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  1. This opens the menu. [3]
  2. The current default PDF reader appears next to “Open With” on this screen.
    • For example, if Preview is set to open PDFs by default, that's what you'll see here.
  3. A list of alternatives will appear.
  4. If you want to use Chrome, select Google Chrome . Or, to change it from Chrome, choose another option.
  5. A confirmation message will appear.
  6. The selected application will now open PDFs on your Mac by default.
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