Do you frequently access PDF documents or files from a browser, but find that they are downloading to your computer, instead of opening in Google Chrome using its built-in PDF viewer? Follow the steps listed below, to change the Google Chrome settings, which will allow you to open a PDF document in Chrome instead of downloading it to your computer.
Steps to Open a PDF Document in Chrome instead of Downloading
Step 1: Click on the 3-dot menu on the top right-hand side of the Chrome Navigation bar. Select the Settings option from the dropdown list
Step 2: In the Privacy and security section, select the Site Settings option.
Step 3: Open the Additional Content Settings list, and select PDF documents from that list
Step 4: Ensure the “Download PDF files instead of automatically opening them in Chrome” toggle option is disabled.
The next time you click on a PDF document link in the Chrome browser, it will automatically open the PDF document in a new Chrome tab using Chrome’s built-in PDF viewer instead of downloading it.
If you have the latest version of Chrome installed (version 87+), then you can also enable the new Chrome PDF viewer which comes with feature updates like Table of Contents, Two-Up Views, and Thumbnails.