PDF Viewer
Read PDFs with search, zoom, thumbnails and printing.
About PDF Viewer
A fast in-browser PDF reader built on PDF.js. Search the full text, zoom, rotate, jump to any page from the thumbnail rail, present fullscreen, print or save a copy. Encrypted PDFs are supported — you will be prompted for the password locally.
Reading a PDF in the browser is normal. Reading one that was uploaded to somebody’s server first is not, and a surprising number of online viewers work that way.
This one renders the file on your own machine, with search, page navigation and zoom.
- Processed on your deviceEverything you open or type here is handled by this page and never uploaded anywhere.
- No queue, no limitsNothing waits on a server, so the only limit is your own hardware.
- No account neededNo sign-up and no email address required.
How PDF Viewer works in your browser
Rendering uses PDF.js, the engine Firefox ships as its built-in PDF reader. Pages are drawn to a canvas at your zoom level, and a text layer is positioned over them so selection, copying and search work against real text rather than the picture.
The supporting assets matter to the privacy claim and are worth being specific about: the PDF.js worker, its character maps, its standard fonts and its WebAssembly module are all served from this site’s own origin rather than a public CDN. A viewer that fetches those from elsewhere tells a third party which document you are reading even if the file itself never moves.
Encrypted documents prompt for the password in the page, and the password is used here to decrypt in memory. Nothing about the file or the password is transmitted.
When to use it
Reading a PDF on a device with no reader installed, or one whose reader you would rather not use. Searching a long document for a clause or a figure. Opening a bank statement, a medical letter or a contract where an uploading viewer is the wrong tool. Checking a PDF from an unfamiliar sender in a sandboxed browser tab rather than a desktop application.
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Frequently asked questions
Can it open password-protected PDFs?
Yes. If a document is encrypted you are prompted for the password, which is used to decrypt it in your browser and is never transmitted or stored.
Why is the text not selectable in my PDF?
Because that PDF has no text layer — it is a scan, a picture of a page. The viewer will display it perfectly but search and selection need real text, which only OCR could add.
Is there a limit on file size?
Only your device's memory. Pages are rendered on demand rather than all at once, so documents of several hundred pages open comfortably on a normal laptop.