- Android PDF readers at a glance
- Nine PDF readers for Android
- Why PDFs are hard work on a phone
- Viewer, editor or e-book reader?
- Reading PDFs comfortably on a phone
- Small features that matter
- Scanned PDFs and accessibility
- Keeping documents organised
- My plain advice on choosing an Android PDF reader
- Frequently asked questions
The best PDF reader for Android opens files quickly, makes small text readable on a phone and lets you highlight, fill in or sign when you need to. Readers who mostly read should look for reflow or reading modes; workers should look for annotation, forms and signing. Nine apps follow in no particular order.
PDFs arrive constantly: contracts, menus, manuals, tickets, school letters and e-books. Your phone can open most of them, but squinting at a full A4 page on a small screen is nobody's idea of a good time.
The nine apps below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, from lightweight viewers to full editors and e-book readers. Each description comes from the app's own Google Play listing, re-checked this week. If you need to make a PDF rather than read one, my guide to converting Word to PDF keeps your formatting intact.
Android PDF readers at a glance
In the free plan column, Yes means the app's own store listing or site describes free use or a free download, Trial only means a time-limited trial and No means neither is stated on the pages we read. Many free apps carry ads or sell optional upgrades.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Acrobat Reader | PDF reader and editor | Forms and signatures | Yes |
| Foxit PDF Editor | PDF editor | Editing on the go | Yes |
| Librera | E-book reader | Many book formats | Yes |
| Moon+ Reader | E-book reader | Customising the reading view | Yes |
| MuPDF viewer | Lightweight viewer | Fast, simple viewing | Yes |
| PDF Viewer Pro | PDF viewer | Searching and annotating | Yes |
| ReadEra | E-book reader | Offline reading, no ads | Yes |
| WPS Office | Documents suite | Documents and PDFs together | Yes |
| Xodo | PDF reader and editor | Annotating and signing | Yes |
Nine PDF readers for Android
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Best for: Anyone who needs to fill in forms, sign documents and share PDFs at work with a familiar app.
Foxit PDF Editor
Best for: Professionals who edit, annotate and comment on PDFs from their phone or tablet between meetings.
Librera
Best for: Readers with mixed libraries who want one app for PDF, EPUB, MOBI and other formats.
Moon+ Reader
Best for: Book lovers who want fine control over fonts, themes and page turning for long reading sessions.
MuPDF viewer
Best for: Minimalists who just want to open and read documents quickly, without editing tools getting in the way.
PDF Viewer Pro
Best for: Students and researchers who search, highlight and annotate long PDFs on a tablet or large phone.
ReadEra
Best for: Commuters who want offline reading of PDFs, e-books and Word documents in a clean, ad-free app.
WPS Office
Best for: People who open Word files, spreadsheets and PDFs on their phone and want one app for all three.
Xodo
Best for: Students and freelancers who read, mark up, scan and sign PDFs in one app.
Why PDFs are hard work on a phone
The Government Digital Service says PDFs generally require a lot of zooming in and out and scrolling to read on a mobile phone, and their accessibility depends on how they were created.
What that means for you: the reader you choose matters more on a phone than on a computer. Look for a reflow or reading mode that rewraps text to fit your screen, plus night mode and adjustable text, before worrying about editing tools.
Viewer, editor or e-book reader?
Viewers open files fast and keep things simple. Editors let you annotate, fill in forms, sign and sometimes change text. E-book readers handle PDFs alongside EPUB and other formats, with features made for long reading sessions, like bookmarks and themes.
If you mostly read, an e-book reader with good PDF support is the most comfortable. If you sign and return documents for work, an editor saves you a trip to a computer.
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Reading PDFs comfortably on a phone
- Turn on reflow or reading mode if the app has it.
- Use night mode for reading in bed.
- Turn your phone sideways for wide pages and tables.
- Use search instead of scrolling through long documents.
- Bookmark pages you'll come back to.
- Save important files offline before you travel.
Small features that matter
- Reflow mode. Rewraps text to fit your screen.
- Text-to-speech. Reads documents aloud while you walk.
- Offline access. Opens files with no signal.
- Cloud links. Opens files straight from your storage.
Scanned PDFs and accessibility
Not all PDFs are created equal. A PDF made from a Word document contains real text you can search, select and resize. A scanned PDF is often just a picture of each page, so search and reflow don't work.
If you get lots of scanned documents, look for a reader or editor that can recognise text, often called OCR. It turns the picture back into text you can search and copy.
And if you publish PDFs for customers, it's worth offering the same information as a web page too. It's kinder to readers on phones and to anyone using a screen reader.
Keeping documents organised
It's easy for a phone to fill up with downloaded PDFs called 'document (14)'. A reader with folders, bookmarks or cloud links saves you hunting for the same file every week.
I'd suggest renaming important files as soon as you download them and keeping one folder for things you'll need again, like tickets, policies and manuals. Most readers here can open files straight from cloud storage too.
And if a document contains personal details, don't leave it sitting in your downloads; move it somewhere safer or delete it once you're done.
Do you make a PDF reader for Android? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing an Android PDF reader
Install one reader for comfort and keep an editor only if you sign or fill in documents often. Two focused apps usually beat one bloated app that tries to do everything.
Test any reader on the kind of PDF you open most, whether that's a scanned form, a text-heavy report or an e-book. And if you still need to send documents the old-fashioned way, my guide to faxing from a phone explains the steps.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best PDF reader for Android?
A light viewer or e-book reader for reading, or an editor if you annotate, fill in and sign documents.
Does Android have a built-in PDF reader?
Many phones can open PDFs with preinstalled apps, but a dedicated reader adds reading modes and tools.
Can I sign a PDF on my Android phone?
Yes. Several editors here let you fill in and sign documents.
Why are PDFs hard to read on a phone?
The Government Digital Service says PDFs need lots of zooming and scrolling on mobile, so reading modes help.
Are PDF readers for Android free?
All apps here install at no charge, with ads or upgrades in some.
Can a PDF reader open e-books too?
Some readers here handle EPUB, MOBI and other formats alongside PDF.
