Adobe Reader Touch — Installation, Settings, and Troubleshooting

Adobe Reader Touch vs. Adobe Acrobat: Which Is Right for You?Choosing the right PDF app matters: work on the wrong tool and small inefficiencies become daily frustrations. This article compares Adobe Reader Touch and Adobe Acrobat across features, device suitability, usability, performance, collaboration, security, and price so you can pick the one that fits your workflow.

What each app is (quick overview)

• Adobe Reader Touch — a lightweight, touch-optimized PDF reader designed primarily for tablets and touch-enabled Windows devices. Focuses on fast viewing, simple annotations, and touch gestures.
• Adobe Acrobat — a broad family of PDF tools (including Acrobat Reader and Acrobat Pro) that provide advanced editing, OCR, form creation, professional commenting, PDF creation and conversion, and robust document workflows.

Who each is for

• Adobe Reader Touch is best for:

  • Tablet users who need quick, on-the-go PDF viewing and light annotation.
  • Students reading textbooks or marking up lecture slides with a stylus.
  • Users who prefer a minimal, touch-first interface without advanced editing needs.

• Adobe Acrobat is best for:

  • Professionals who create and edit PDFs, fillable forms, and need high-fidelity conversions.
  • Teams requiring document review workflows, redaction, and e-signature integration.
  • Users who need OCR, preflight for print, or batch processing.

Feature comparison

Usability and interface

• Adobe Reader Touch uses large controls, gesture navigation (pinch-to-zoom, swipe for page turns), and stylus support for handwriting/ink annotations. Its interface is uncluttered compared with desktop Acrobat.
• Acrobat (desktop) prioritizes dense toolbars and menus for power users. Mobile Acrobat apps adapt to touch but maintain many advanced functions behind menus. Acrobat Pro’s feature set requires more learning but offers far greater control.

Performance and resource use

• Reader Touch is lightweight and launches quickly on mid-range tablets or Windows Surface devices; it’s ideal when battery life and speed matter.
• Acrobat Pro (desktop) uses more system resources, especially when editing large files, running OCR, or processing batches. On powerful PCs it performs smoothly; on low-end devices it can feel sluggish.

Collaboration & sharing

• Reader Touch supports basic commenting and can open shared PDF links, but lacks advanced review workflows.
• Acrobat (especially with Document Cloud) offers shared reviews, version tracking, integrated e-signature workflows (Adobe Sign), and cloud storage linking — better for team and enterprise use.

Security & compliance

• Both apps support password protection and standard PDF encryption.
• Acrobat Pro adds redaction tools, certificate-based signatures, and advanced compliance/fix tools that enterprise users need for regulated environments.

Price & licensing

• Adobe Reader Touch: Free (basic features).
• Acrobat Reader: Free for viewing and basic annotating.
• Acrobat Pro: Subscription (Adobe Acrobat Pro DC) or enterprise licensing — required for advanced editing, OCR, redaction, and commercial workflows.

When to choose Adobe Reader Touch

• You primarily read PDFs on a tablet or touch-enabled device.
• You mark up documents with a stylus, make quick highlights, and need an uncluttered interface.
• You want a free, fast reader with touch-first controls and basic annotation.

When to choose Adobe Acrobat

• You need to edit PDF text or images, convert documents to/from PDF, or run OCR on scans.
• You create forms, redact sensitive information, or require integrated e-signature and collaboration tools.
• You work in professional, legal, publishing, or enterprise environments that require advanced workflows and compliance features.

Practical examples

• Student: Adobe Reader Touch for reading lectures and annotating slides on a tablet.
• Freelance designer: Acrobat Pro for preparing print-ready PDFs and fine edits.
• Legal team: Acrobat Pro for redaction, secure signatures, and tracked review cycles.
• Office worker: Acrobat (desktop) for converting documents, forms, and running OCR; Reader Touch when reviewing on the go.

Final recommendation

If your needs are reading, simple annotations, and tablet-first workflows, go with Adobe Reader Touch. If you need full PDF creation/editing, OCR, redaction, advanced collaboration, or enterprise features, choose Adobe Acrobat (Pro).