In February 2023, Microsoft and Adobe announced a joint effort to improve the PDF viewing experience in Edge by integrating the Adobe Acrobat PDF engine into the browser. That allowed Microsoft to provide its customers with better document rendering, snappier performance, and improved security and accessibility.
A few days ago, Microsoft updated the original announcement post with new details about the removal of the old PDF engine (via Deskmodder).
According to the revised document, the old PDF engine powering Edge"s built-in PDF reader will be kicked out of the browser in early 2025. Later this summer, the company will start rolling out the new engine and an opt-out policy to managed devices.
When will the legacy PDF engine in Microsoft Edge be removed? (Updated March 4, 2024)
The PDF engine in the Microsoft Edge built-in PDF reader is scheduled to be removed no sooner than Early 2025 (date to be updated ASAP).
Here is the current timeline:
| March 2023 | Early May 2024 | Mid-summer 2024 | Early 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Devices | Rollout to users begins | Rollout to users completes | Not applicable | Microsoft Edge legacy PDF engine is scheduled to be removed |
| Managed Devices | Opt-in policy starts | Opt-in policy available | Rollout to managed devices begins Opt-out via policy starts | Opt-out policy expires Microsoft Edge legacy PDF engine is scheduled to be removed |
Microsoft is now rolling out the new Adobe Acrobat PDF experience to regular Edge users. You can speed things up by navigating to the edge://flags page and enabling the "New PDF Viewer" flag. Note that turning it on will also place an "Edit with Adobe" ad promoting the Adobe Acrobat subscription ($15.59 per month when paid annually) and its features like editing PDF, merging files, adding items, and more. The flag is available on Windows and macOS.
If you do not like the new PDF experience, you can turn it off and revert to the old variant. Just keep in mind that it will soon be removed from the browser.