Open a PDF Instead of Downloading It in Google Chrome (2025)
In this tutorial, we will show you exactly how to open a PDF instead of downloading it in Google Chrome in just a few simple steps. Read on to learn more.
Open PDF in Chrome Instead of Downloading It
Follow the steps below to open PDFs in Chrome instead of downloading them.
1. Open Google Chrome’s Settings Menu
Access Google Chrome’s settings by clicking the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of the browser, then select “Settings” from the list. This will allow you to manage various browser preferences.
2. Go to Privacy and Security Settings in Chrome
Once in the settings menu, scroll down and select the “Privacy and security” section. This section controls how your browser handles files, including PDFs.
3. Click on Site Settings to Manage File and Content Behavior
Within the Privacy and Security section, click on “Site Settings.” This will take you to a page where you can adjust how websites handle content like PDFs.
4. Scroll Down to PDF Documents Under Additional Content Settings
In Site Settings, scroll down until you see “Additional content settings,” then click it.
From there, select “PDF Documents” to manage how Chrome handles PDF files.
5. Turn Off the Option to Download PDFs Automatically
In the PDF Documents section, find the option labeled “Download PDFs” instead of automatically opening them in Chrome. Switch this off so that PDFs will open in the browser. Make sure the other option “Open PDFs in Chrome” is enabled.
6. Open a PDF to Ensure it Now Opens in the Browser
Click on any PDF link in Chrome to confirm that the file now opens in a new tab instead of downloading. For example, let’s search for a sample PDF, then click on it.
If the PDF opens in the browser, the changes were successful, just like in the image below.
We hope that you now have a better understanding of opening PDFs in Google Chrome without downloading them. If you enjoyed this article, you might want to check our articles on how to open Google Chrome from the Terminal and how to download a PDF instead of opening in Chrome.
