Sharing & Reviewing files

Acrobat Reader provides a rich set of file share and review features as well as tools for managing both. Review service subscribers can share files in review mode so that it’s easy to collaborate and collect feedback on any file. Highlights include:

Sharing a PDF

Sharing files is as simple as tapping shareicon and completing the share workflow. Sharing requires an internet connection.

Note

For details about sharing and review workflows, see Sharing Files and Starting Reviews.

  1. Open a PDF. If the top menu is not visible, tap the document.

  2. Tap shareicon

  3. Add 1 or more email addresses.

  4. Optional: Tap the subject line and/or message text box to edit them.

  5. Optional: If you’re sending the file for review, enable Allow comments for review. View files are read-only. Review files allow recipients to add comments and annotations.

  6. Choose Send.

The file automatically uploads to Document Cloud. Document recipients can access the file from the web as well as their desktop or phone. Alternatively, you can also share a link to the file or a copy of the file.

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Note

For details about sharing workflows, see Sharing Files and Starting Reviews.

Share tag

You can easily determine if a file is shared from the Home view or the file context menu. Shared files are marked with a group icon. When you search for a file, the tag also appears in the search result.

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Shared “by you” and “by others”

When no document is open, you can view all your shared files from the Shared view. The Shared file list shows all files grouped by By Others and By You.

  1. Tap sharedfilelisticon to view your shared files.

  2. Tap either By Others or By You tabs to see your separate file lists.

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Commenting

Commenting is a free service, and you can easily add notes and mark up files:

  1. Open PDF

  2. Tap editicon

  3. Tap Comment

  4. Tap a tool in the comments tool bar.

  5. Place your markup in the document.

  6. Tap Post.

You can reply to comments, change the color, delete comments, and view all comments.

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Navigate through comments by viewing all comments and scrolling through the list or by using the previous and next arrows.

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Note

For details about review workflows, see Sharing Files and Starting Reviews.

Initiating a share or review

Sharing a file is easy, and you can track and manage the share from your mobile device, the desktop, and the web. You’ll receive push notifications when reviewers participate.

  1. Open a PDF. If the top menu is not visible, tap the document.

  2. Tap shareicon

  3. Add 1 or more email addresses.

  4. Optional: Tap the subject line and/or message text box to edit them.

  5. If you’re sending the file for review, enable Allow comments. View files are read-only. Review files allow recipients to add comments and annotations.

  6. For reviews, you can set a deadline: Tap gearicon > Set Deadline. Set your date and tap OK.

  7. Choose Send.

The file automatically uploads to Document Cloud. Document recipients can access the file from the web as well as their desktop or phone. Alternatively, you can share a link to the file or a copy of the file.

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Reviewing files

The review feature allows you to add comments and annotations, edit comments, reply to comments, and receive notifications when there is activity on your thread comments.

  1. When you receive a review invitation email, click the link. Clicking on a link in 3rd party mobile apps automatically opens the Acrobat Reader in the review.

  2. Sign In with your Adobe ID. The advantage of signing in is that you can edit or delete your comments at any time, including future sessions.

  3. Add, reply to, and delete comments as usual.

  4. The document is automatically saved, and all reviewers will see your comments.

Note

Using the aticon tag sends a push notification to the named reviewer. The app also sends notifications whenever a comment or annotation is added or changed.

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Working with comments

When you tap on a comment, the app shows the edit tools. From here you can:

  • Open the complete comment list.

  • Resolve comments (mark as read).

  • Edit the color of your own annotations.

  • Delete your own comments.

  • Edit your own comments.

  • Navigate through the comments.

  • Reply.

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Replying to a comment

From the comments list:

  1. Tap the comment.

  2. Enter text.

  3. Tap Reply.

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Mentioning a specific reviewer

In addition to replying to someone’s comment, you can use the @mention tag to refer to them directly. Doing so sends the named user a notification that they have been specifically mentioned.

To use the tag:

  1. Create a new comment or reply to a comment.

  2. Tap aticon to display a list of reviewer names.

  3. Tap of one of the reviewer names.

  4. Finish your comment and tap Reply.

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Edit and delete comments

You can remove your own comments and replies:

  1. Tap the comment.

  2. Tap overflowicon

  3. Tap Edit or Delete.

Reviewing offline

You can review files even when offline. The app saves your comments and syncs them to the document once you have a connection.

Finding and navigating comments

Viewing the comments list

To display comments, tap overflowicon > Comments List.

Filtering comments

The app provides a number of ways to filter comments so that you can easily find what you need. You can filter by timeframe, reviewers, and whether or not the comment is read or resolved.

  1. Tap filtericon

  2. Tap any filter.

  3. Tap Apply.

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Clearing filters

One you’ve applied a comment filter, a filter bar appears at the bottom of the document diplays the number of selected filters and a Clear button. Tap Clear to remove all filters.

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Viewing notifications

The desktop, mobile, and web platforms provide a rich notification service which alerts you to file changes, messages from reviewers, and other items. Simply tap bellalerticon to view the latest notifications.

There are two types of notifications: Requests and simple messages. Requests are like action items–these may be direct messages, requests to reivew a file, and so on.

Note

Notifications include deadlines, reminders, real-time messages from the sender, and other messages. Depending on what you’ve permitted, notifications may also appear on your device’s home screen.

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Managing reviews

While you will receive a notification when reviewers view and comment on your file, you can actively monitor and track reviews online or from the desktop.

Once you’ve shared a file, you can track and manage that share. From any file list, select a file and use the right-hand pane to perform an action.

Features include:

  • Send reviewers a real-time message. Messages are received as notifications

  • View the reviewer list and how many comments each reviewer has added

  • See who has viewed the file and when

  • Add reviewers

  • Unshare files and delete reviews

To manage a review when a document is open, simply click the overflowicon.

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Note

The app provides similar functionality for shared files (view-only files not in a review).

Viewing review status

When a review file is open, the top bar displays an overview of the review’s current status. It indicates:

  • Document sync status. Changed files are automatically synced with Document Cloud. Files that have been saved display a green circle.

  • Document title (tablets only)

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Setting review deadlines

You can specify a deadline when setting up a review so that the review automatically ends.

  1. Tap gearicon and then tap Set Deadline.

  2. Set the calendar widget.

  3. Tap OK.

Note

Notifications are sent to all recipients on the deadline date.

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Setting review reminders

You can specify a reminders so that both you and the review recipients receive reminders that the review is active.

  1. Tap Set Reminder

  2. Set the calendar widget.

  3. Tap OK.

Adding reviewers

The review initiator can add reviewers to an open share/review at any time.

From any file list (Home, Shared, or search result):

  1. Tap overflowicon

  2. Tap Participants.

  3. Tap Add People.

  4. Enter an email address and tap Send.

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Checking who has viewed a file

Document recipients who have not yet opened a file appear in the recipient list with notviewedicon next to their name.

From any file list (Home, Shared, or search result):

  1. Tap overflowicon

  2. Tap Recipients.

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Viewing the review message

If you need to review the initial message you sent when you share the file, from any file list (Home, Shared, or search result):

  1. Tap overflowicon

  2. Tap Message.

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Unshare a file

From any file list (Home, Shared, or search result):

  1. Tap overflowicon

  2. Tap Unshare File.

  3. Tap Unshare again to confirm.

Unsharing a file prevents future access to that file for all users.

Delete a share or review

Note

I only see Unshare. Don’t see Delete.

Only review initiators can delete their review. From any file list (Home, Shared, or search result):

  1. Tap overflowicon

  2. Tap Delete.

  3. Tap Delete again to confirm.

Note

Removing share and review privileges does not delete the file.

Reporting abuse

Reviewers can report abuse when another reviewer violates Adobe’s terms of use:

  1. Tap overflowicon

  2. Tap Report Abuse.

  3. Tap Continue and complete the workflow.

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Removing yourself from a review

Removing your link to a review removes you as a reviewer.

  1. Tap overflowicon

  2. Tap Remove Me.

  3. Tap Remove Me to confirm you’d like to remove yourself from the review.