Microsoft Edge to get Adobe Acrobat PDF tech in March

Microsoft has announced that with the software major Adobe, it is bringing Adobe Acrobat's PDF capabilities to more than 1.4 billion Windows users in Microsoft Edge next month.

The announcement is part of an ongoing Adobe and Microsoft initiative to transform digital work and life by bringing Adobe's industry-leading PDF, e-signature and document automation tools directly to Microsoft users, the tech giant said in a blogpost on Wednesday.

"Together, the two companies are updating the PDF experience and value users have come to expect in Microsoft Edge by powering the built-in PDF reader with the Adobe Acrobat PDF engine."

This will provide users a better PDF experience including more accurate colours and graphics, improved performance, strong security for PDF handling and greater accessibility, as well as better text selection and read-aloud narration, which will all be available free of cost.

However, users who want more advanced digital document features, such as the ability to edit text and images, convert PDFs to other file formats and more, can purchase an Acrobat subscription.

Moreover, Microsoft Edge users with existing Adobe Acrobat subscriptions can use the Acrobat extension inside Edge at no extra cost.

"Adobe's PDF technology in Microsoft Edge means users will have fast and secure access to critical digital document capabilities," said Jared Spataro, Corporate Vice President, Modern Work & Business Applications, Microsoft.

The tech giant also mentioned that users across the world interact with trillions of PDF files across web, mobile and desktop.

"With Adobe Acrobat capabilities powering the PDF experience in Edge, Windows 10 and Windows 11 users can use Adobe's best-in-class PDF capabilities within the Microsoft Edge web browser, without the need to download or switch to a separate application," it added.