Fix PDF Not Opening in Chrome | Chrome PDF Viewer Not Working

You can use Chrome to view PDF files. This is a very useful and convenient feature. But the issue of Chrome PDF viewer not working may suddenly happen due to some reason. What can you do when you can’t open PDF in Chrome? We collect some solutions and show them in this post.

Method 1: Disable PDF Downloads in Chrome

Sometimes, when you want to view a PDF using Chrome, you find that the browser downloads it instead of opening it. To fix this problem, you can disable the PDF downloads feature in Chrome.

1. Click the three-dot menu in Chrome.

2. Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings.

3. Scroll down to the Content section and then click Additional content settings.

4. Select PDF documents.

5. Turn off the switch for Download PDF files instead of automatically opening them in Chrome.

However, this method is not working for all PDF files. You may discover that your Chrome still downloads some PDF files instead of directly opening them. If it can’t help you out, you can continue trying the next solution.

Method 2: Use Chrome in Incognito Mode

If you have installed some extensions in Chrome, you should consider that this issue is caused by one extension. If there is more than one extension, you are not sure which one is the culprit.

Here, we tell you a method to find it out.

First, you can use Chrome in incognito mode to check whether it is an extension-related issue. You can click the 3-dot menu in Chrome and then select New incognito window. Then, you can try to open your PDF file using Chrome to see whether it can successfully open it. If yes, it is an extension that causes the Chrome PDF viewer not working issue.

To find out that extension, you can disable all extensions in Chrome and then re-enable them one at a time. If the issue re-appears after enabling one extension, that extension should be responsible for this issue. If needed, you can remove this extension from Chrome to solve the issue.

Method 3: Use Cleanup in Chrome

There is another possibility: PDF won’t open in Chrome in incognito mode. If so, your computer may be infected by viruses or malware. You need to take measures to clear your computer to find and remove viruses and malware. You can directly use the Chrome built-in cleanup tool to find harmful software on your computer and then remove it.

1. Click the 3-dot menu in Chrome.
2. Go to Settings > Advanced > Reset and clean up.
3. Click Clean up computer.
4. Click the Find button to check for harmful software on your computer.

It will take a while to finish the whole process. You should wait until the whole process ends.

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Method 4: Upgrade Chrome

If you haven’t updated your Chrome, PDF not opening in Chrome can easily happen. So, you can update your Chrome to see whether it can solve the issue. To upgrade your Chrome, you need to click the 3-dot menu and then go to Help > About Google Chrome. On the new page, Chrome can perform an auto-update if available.

Method 5: Clear Cache and Cookies in Chrome

The outdated cache and cookies in your Chrome can also cause PDF won’t open in Chrome. Due to this, you can clear cache and cookies in Chrome to have a try.

1. Click the 3-dot menu in Chrome.
2. Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data.
3. Check Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files.
4. Click the Clear data button.

Method 6: Turn off Hardware Acceleration

Another method to solve PDF not opening in Chrome is to disable Hardware Acceleration. Here is a guide:

1. Click the 3-dot menu.
2. Go to Settings > Advanced > System.
3. Turn off the switch for Use hardware acceleration when available.
4. Click the Relaunch button to reopen your Chrome.

Method 7: Reset Chrome

If all of the above methods don’t work for you, you can reset Chrome to reset all settings to their defaults. Some users say this method solves their issue. You can also have a try.

1. Click the 3-dot menu.
2. Go to Settings > Advanced > Reset and clean up.
3. Click Restore settings to their original defaults.
4. Click the Reset settings button on the pop-up interface.

These are the methods to solve PDF not opening in Chrome. We hope they can solve the issue you are facing.