Microsoft Edge to retire legacy PDF engine in early 2025, to be replaced by Adobe Acrobat
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Key notes
- Microsoft Edge to retire legacy PDF engine in early 2025.
- New Adobe Acrobat engine promises better PDF viewing experience.
- Rollout to regular users ongoing, opt-in for managed devices coming mid-2024.
- Users can switch to new engine now or keep legacy engine until early 2025.
Microsoft has announced an update to its plans regarding the built-in PDF reader in Microsoft Edge. The company will be phasing out the legacy PDF engine in favor of a new one powered by Adobe Acrobat. The retirement of the legacy engine is scheduled for early 2025, with a specific date to be confirmed soon.
Update:
The date for commercial rollout for embedding the Adobe Acrobat PDF engine into the Microsoft Edge built-in PDF reader has been moved to Mid-Summer.
The date for the removal of the current engine for the Microsoft Edge built-in PDF reader will be delayed to no sooner than early 2025.
This includes better rendering of documents, faster performance, improved security features, and more accessibility options. I wonder if there would be the functionality of ‘AI Assistant for Reader and Acrobat.’
Here is the rollout timeline
- March 2023: Rollout of the new PDF engine begins for regular Edge users.
- Early May 2024 (estimated): Rollout to regular users expected to be complete.
- Mid-summer 2024: Opt-in policy for managed devices becomes available.
- Early 2025: Legacy PDF engine removed from both regular and managed devices. (Exact date to be confirmed)
Users can get access to the new PDF engine by enabling the “New PDF Viewer” flag in the edge://flags menu.
Users who prefer the legacy engine can continue using it for now. Either way, it will be permanently removed in early 2025.
More here.
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