Microsoft confirms plan to kill its legacy PDF reader in Edge soon

Two years ago, Microsoft replaced the built-in PDF reader in the Edge browser, but the fact is that many users have continued sticking with the old legacy PDF reader to this day.

Back in 2023, the PDF engine in Edge was switched over to Adobe’s PDF engine, but the rollout only made it the default engine on consumer devices. Business devices had to opt into the new engine, while consumer devices could switch back by tweaking a browser flag setting.

Now Microsoft has confirmed its intent to force ALL users onto Adobe’s PDF engine, Windows Latest reports. Starting September 2025, admins will have to apply an opt-out policy if they want to delay the PDF engine rollout on their PCs. That delay will only last until early 2026, when Microsoft plans to officially retire the legacy PDF engine in Edge.

The main complaint against Adobe’s PDF engine is that users are asked to pay to access several advanced and not-so-advanced features, such as editing text and images, converting between formats, merging documents, and more. It’s yet another reminder of how Microsoft seems to nickel and dime its users at every opportunity.