Where are PDF files stored on an Android once downloaded?

A woman sitting at a desk searches for her downloaded PDF files on her Android.

This article outlines several places to find the PDFs you’ve downloaded to your Android device.

Wondering how to find PDF files on an Android? Even with hundreds of documents saved to an Android device, you can still easily find what you need within seconds. Our smartphones are now considered fully functional tools equipped with all kinds of PDF possibilities. For example, you can download PDFs directly to your mobile device in just a few simple steps.

The only potential challenge with this process? Sometimes it can be hard to find exactly where to access your downloaded PDFs on your phone. Keep reading to learn more about where you can locate your Android PDFs.

How to download PDFs on Android devices.

To download PDFs directly to your Android using a mobile PDF reader, follow these easy instructions:

  1. Open the file you want to save as a PDF.
  2. Tap File on your Android, then select Print.
  3. Select the dropdown menu and tap Save as PDF.
  4. Pick your preferred location for your PDF and press Save.

How to find PDF files on an Android.

So, you’ve downloaded your PDF or PDFs to your Android. Now what? You’re probably wondering how to find PDF files. Where are the PDF files stored on your Android?

It’s helpful to know where to find them so you can read, edit, and modify them. Not sure where they’re located? Here are a few potential spots where you’ll likely find your downloaded PDFs:

Look in the Downloads folder.

Your Android Downloads folder is where all your important files will be saved from an email, message, or another outlet.

Here is how to find downloads on your Android:

  1. Open your Android app drawer by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. This can be accessed by tapping the icon on the home screen.
  2. Select My Files (or File Manager). If you don’t see the My Files app, select the Samsung icon with multiple smaller icons in it. My Files will be located here.
  3. Once you’re in the My Files app, select Downloads. Now you can see all of your downloads.
  4. You can tap the Browse icon at the bottom of your screen to search for a PDF quickly.

Look in the Documents folder.

On Androids, all document files — including PDFs, text files, CSVs, and more — are stored in the Documents folder.

  1. Open your Android app drawer by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. This can be accessed by tapping the icon on the home screen.
  2. Select My Files (or File Manager). If you don’t see the My Files app, select the Samsung icon with multiple smaller icons in it. My Files will be located here.
  3. Once you’re in the My Files app, select Documents. Now you can see all of your documents.
  4. You can tap the Browse icon at the bottom of your screen to search for a PDF quickly.

Now that you’ve found this, you might want to learn how to open a PDF on Android and how to search in a PDF on Android.

Have an iPhone in the family, too? Learn where PDFs are saved on iPhones as well.

Unlock the PDF possibilities.

Good news — this functionality is just the start of your mobile PDF potential. Discover what more you can do with Acrobat and Acrobat online services to convert, share, send, and print PDFs.