Adobe Reader XI / FAQ

Overview Features Tech specs FAQ

Free Reader software is the trusted standard for reliably viewing, printing, signing, and commenting on PDF documents. It's the only PDF viewer that can open and interact with all types of PDF content — including forms and multimedia — and is available across leading desktop and mobile device platforms.

Why should I upgrade to Reader XI?

Free Reader XI software is the only PDF viewer that lets you read, search, print, and interact with virtually any type of PDF file. With Adobe Reader XI, you can:

Fill out PDF forms by typing directly on the page or clicking through fillable form fields — and now save the completed form to your desktop
Sign anywhere on a PDF file by typing or drawing your name or inserting an image of your signature
Annotate documents with the same full set of commenting tools offered in Adobe Acrobat® XI software, including sticky notes, lines, shapes, stamps, and highlight, underline, and strikethrough tools
Share files using your favorite email application, now with support for Internet email services such as Gmail and Yahoo! Mail
Open PDF files more securely in the Protected Mode sandboxed environment

You can also download the free Reader mobile app to view and interact with PDF files for free on Android™ and iOS devices, including iPads and iPhones.

Is Reader XI free?

Yes, Reader XI is free software available on the Reader download page or wherever you see the Get Adobe Reader icon.

How do I download Reader?

You can easily download free Reader for multiple operating systems and devices:

Visit the Reader download page to download the desktop version of Adobe Reader XI. Once there, you can select your language, operating system, and connection speed.
Download the Reader mobile app from Google Play or the iTunes App Store to use Reader on Android or iOS devices, including iPads and iPhones.
You can also download previous versions of Reader that run on Linux® and Solaris™ platforms.

Do I need Adobe Acrobat to use Reader?

No, Reader is a free, standalone application that you can use to open, view, sign, print, annotate, search, and verify PDF files, such as those created by Acrobat.

How do I download Reader without Adobe AIR®?

To download Reader without the AIR runtime, visit the Reader distribution page.

Functionality

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How can I use Reader to take advantage of Adobe online services?

Adobe online services let you do even more right from Reader when you open a free or paid account for each service:

Get PDFs signed by others and track their status online by using the Send For Signature feature to connect to Adobe EchoSign®.
Easily create and share PDF files by sending files to Adobe PDF Pack for online conversion from the Reader Tools pane.
Reuse information to get a head start on new projects by converting a PDF file to a fully editable Microsoft Word or Excel file with Adobe ExportPDF.

Can I create PDF files with Reader?

From the Reader XI Tools pane, you can access the PDF Pack online service, which has monthly and annual subscription plans available for purchase. You can also convert files to PDF using Acrobat XI.

Can I use Reader XI to add comments and highlights to a PDF file?

Reader XI is the first version of Reader that enables users to annotate PDF documents using a full set of commenting and markup tools, including sticky notes, a freehand drawing tool, and typewriter, highlight, underline, and strikethrough tools. You can also use Reader XI to participate in shared document reviews, with team members seeing and building on each other’s comments to speed up review cycles.

Does Reader support electronic signatures?

Yes. Reader XI lets virtually anyone confidently sign and view PDF files. You can sign any PDF document viewed in Reader XI by typing or drawing your name or inserting an image of your signature. You can also sign and validate PDF documents with certificate signatures if the document author has enabled your PDF file to support this capability. In addition, the new Send For Signature feature lets you connect to the EchoSign online service* to ask others to sign documents electronically and track signing status online.

* Requires an active account with the EchoSign online service. Free and paid subscriptions apply.

Can I fill out and save PDF forms with Reader XI?

Yes, with Reader XI you can now fill out PDF forms by typing directly on the page or clicking through fillable form fields. Upgrading to Reader XI also lets you save fillable PDF forms to your desktop.

Can I edit a PDF file using Reader?

No. You cannot make permanent changes to PDF files using Reader. To edit PDF files, purchase Acrobat software.

Security

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What is Protected Mode?: To protect you and your organization from malicious code that attempts to use the PDF format to write to or read from a computer’s file system, Adobe delivers a cutting-edge implementation of "sandboxing" technology called Protected Mode. Enabled by default in Reader XI, Protected Mode extends the protection against attackers who attempt to install malware on your computer system, which was introduced in Adobe Reader X, to include the blocking of malicious individuals from accessing — and extracting — sensitive data and intellectual property from your computer or corporate network.

Learn more about the security features of Reader XI.
How can I help control access to sensitive documents?: Access rights and security settings for a PDF file cannot be set in Reader; however, they can be set using Acrobat and Adobe LiveCycle® software. Once they are set, authors can define who can open, view, print, copy, or modify a document. These capabilities help organizations protect the confidentiality of sensitive information.

Authors can set access privileges in Acrobat using the Encrypt tool in the Protection panel. They can define a password users will need to open the document, or they can use a certificate ID to encrypt the document so that select recipients can open the document by entering their own certificate IDs. Optionally, organizations that choose to set up an Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES3 server can apply digital rights management (DRM) to a PDF file, which lets them create policies to limit user access, audit document usage, and revoke a document after distribution.

Multiplatform support

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What operating systems does Reader XI support?: Reader supports multiple platforms, including Windows®, Mac OS, iOS, and Android. For detailed information, see the Reader tech specs page and the Reader mobile app tech specs page. Earlier versions of Reader also support Linux and Solaris operating systems.
Is Reader available on mobile operating systems?: Yes, Reader is available for download on Google Play for use on Android devices and the iTunes App Store for use on iOS devices, including iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. For detailed information, visit the Reader mobile app page. Reader is also available on Windows Phone and BlackBerry® devices.

Enterprise deployment

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How can my organization distribute Reader XI?: Many organizations worldwide use Reader as the standard for document exchange and electronic form submission processes. Adobe grants organizations the rights to distribute Reader in volume on internal websites or by using physical media such as DVDs. Learn more about Reader distribution.
What tools are available to deploy Reader in the enterprise?: It's easy to deploy Adobe Reader in your organization. You can control enterprise-wide deployment — and help reduce IT costs — using a variety of tools, including the Adobe Customization Wizard, Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), Windows Group Policy Objects, or Active Directory. For more information about enterprise deployment, visit the IT resources page.
What is the Adobe Reader MUI version?: Adobe Reader MUI is Adobe's Multilingual User Interface version of Reader, which lets you roll out the same worldwide image of Reader with a single installation. Local users can then select a user interface language, or it can be set by group policy for organizational units.

Learning

Help

Adobe online services are available only to users 13 and older and require agreement to additional terms and Adobe’s online privacy policy. Online services are not available in all countries or languages, may require user registration, and may be subject to change or discontinuation without notice. Additional fees or subscription charges may apply.