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How to Use PDF Bookmarks and Change Your Default PDF Viewer

Whether you're navigating complex documents or customizing your workflow, setting up your PDF reader properly makes all the difference. 

In this guide, we walk you through how to make the most of PDF bookmarks, and how to set Adobe Acrobat Reader as your default viewer—on both Windows and Mac.

🔖 What Are PDF Bookmarks and Why Use Them?

Bookmarks (or a table of contents) make it easy to jump between sections of a PDF. Ideal for long manuals, study guides, or forms.

Microsoft Edge:

• Select the table of contents icon in the top-left of the PDF toolbar.

• The sidebar with bookmarks opens.

• Note: If you click away, Edge doesn't keep it pinned—you’ll need to select the icon again to reopen it.

If your built-in reader doesn’t support bookmarks, we recommend using Adobe Acrobat Reader for more flexibility.

🧰 How to Set Adobe Acrobat Reader as the Default PDF Viewer

🔹 Windows

Option 1: From the File Itself

1. Right-click a PDF file.

2. Choose Open with > Choose another app.

3.    Select Adobe Acrobat Reader.

4. Check Always use this app to open .pdf files.

5.    Click OK.

Option 2: Via System Settings

1. Open Settings > Apps > Default apps.

2. Scroll to .pdf and assign Adobe Acrobat Reader.

🔹 Firefox

1. Open the menu (three lines at top-right).

2.    Go to Settings > General.

3. Under Files and Applications, select Adobe Acrobat Reader to open PDFs.

🔹 Microsoft Edge

In Edge itself, PDFs open automatically—but to change this:

1. Follow the same Windows system settings as above.

2. You can also disable automatic Edge opening by adjusting file associations.

🍏 macOS

macOS uses Preview by default. To switch:

1.    Install Adobe Acrobat Reader.

2. Right-click (or Control-click) any PDF and select Get Info.

3. In Open with, choose Adobe Acrobat Reader.

4. Click Change All to apply this setting universally.