Are you trying to open a PDF attachment on your iPhone email, but it is not opening? Don’t worry because you are not alone in encountering this issue. Many iOS and iPadOS users have stated that they can’t open PDF on iPhone email whenever they try to open it.

iOS devices are designed to automatically open PDF files. Users don’t need to use any additional software. You can send and receive PDF files for personal and business purposes. Here, you’ll learn the reasons and fix the issue of not opening PDF email attachments.

PDF on iPhone Email

Why Can’t I Open PDF on iPhone Email?

There are many common reasons why PDF attachments on iPhone emails would not open. It might be due to an unsupported file or an incompatible format. An outdated Adobe Acrobat Reader would make email not access a PDF attachment.

Inbuilt Windows Defender or virus software can also stop opening a PDF file if it detects any virus. Another reason would be a damaged PDF file not decoded properly while sending an email. The PDFs couldn’t be opened if they were corrupted or didn’t follow proper standards.

Fix Can’t Open PDF Attachment 

After determining the reason why you can’t open PDF on iPhone email, let’s know how to resolve the problem. Ask the email sender to send the PDF again. It helps in removing the bug that comes within the app that prevents opening the PDF from the mail client.

If you can’t open the PDF attachment a second time as well, then restart Outlook and try again. If you’re trying to open a PDF with iBooks, the issue might be with Apple Books. At that time, you have to update it in the App Store to remove bugs that cause a problem.

Check Adobe Acrobat Reader 

Check if an Adobe Acrobat Reader is installed on your iPhone. To do this, open a PDF file. If the PDF is still not opening, find the Adobe file in windows explorer. If it is not there, you have to download it. You may also need to fill out a PDF. To learn the 3 best ways to make a PDF fillable, visit https://setapp.com/how-to/make-pdf-fillable.

Ensure that you are downloading the latest version fully compatible with your operating system. To download Adobe Reader, tap help and scroll down to see updates. Press check for updates and keep the app linked to the server. After installation, restart Acrobat.

Copy to iBooks

Rather than using the PDF viewer of the app, you can use iBooks. It will help in finding if the problem is with the PDF or the app you’re using. If the PDF doesn’t open with Apple Books, the PDF itself has some issues. If PDF opens, the problem is with the mail client.

To copy the PDF to iBook, tap the Share button for the PDF attachment you can’t open. Once copied, launch Apple Books and choose Library. Find out if the shared PDF is available there or not. If it is present, figure out if you can open it now.

Close the Application

Closing and restarting an application can help open PDF on iPhone email. To close apps on iPhone X and the latest versions, swipe to the middle to pause a video on the Home Screen. Swipe left or right to search the app and click on it. To close the app, swipe up.

To close apps on your iPhone, click twice on the Home button. Find the application you need to close by swiping left or right. Click on the app. Swipe up on the preview screen of the app to close it. After closing the app, restart it to load the PDF.

Force Restart Your iPhone

Force restarting your iPhone can resolve the issue if your iPhone has a software problem like a glitch. To force restart iPhone 7 or new models, press the sleep or wake key on the phone’s right side. Now, hit and hold the volume down key.

Release the keys when there is the Apple logo. To force restart iPhone X or 8, quickly tap and release the volume up button. At the same time, tap the volume down button and immediately release it. Next, hit and hold the Power button. Wait until the Apple logo appears.

The Conclusion

PDF attachments would not open in an iPhone email is a common and major problem. The situation becomes more frustrating when a PDF document is related to urgent and important work. Thankfully, you no longer need to deal with the same problem.

Now that you are familiar with the causes and possible solutions to the problem, you can overcome the issue easily. Before implementing any of the tips, find out the reason behind the issue. All the above techniques are tried-and-tested.

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