Q: Safari 10 not automatically opening PDFs
-
Sep 22, 2016 9:35 AMby VikingOSX,HelpfulFor security reasons, I do not have Safari 10 : Preferences : General panel : Open Safe files after downloading checked. It has nothing to do with opening PDF documents in the browser, as that is the function of the default OS X Internet plug-in for that purpose, or the optional Adobe Acrobat Reader PDF plug-in.
That Adobe Reader plug-in is disabled by default in the Safari 10 : Preferences : Security panel : Internet Plug-ins. You will need to enable it via the Plug-in settings — if you are using it — though with a cautionary warning as Safari 10 notes that it has security issues that you may, or may not be willing to accept.
With Adobe Reader Internet Plug-in disabled, Safari 10 automatically opens a website PDF in the browser. There is no special Preferences setting to enable this default behavior.
-
Sep 22, 2016 9:35 AMby s_w_i_t_t_e_r_s,Thanks for your reply.
Preferences : General panel : Open Safe files after downloading is already checked.
The PDFs open in the browser just fine. It's what happens after I download them that I'm writing about. In El Capitan PDFs would open in my default PDF program (PDF Expert) after downloading them. In Sierra, I have to go to my Downloads folder and double-click them to open. Not the end of the world, but it's an extra step and it adds up.
-
Sep 22, 2016 10:07 AMby VikingOSX,Does PDF Expert (2) provide a Safari 10 compatible browser plug-in, and if so, is it enabled in the Safari 10 Preferences : Security panel : Internet plug-ins panel?
You could make a folder action script that when you right-click to download the PDF, that you save it in a folder that has a folder-action script attached to it. That would allow you to automatically open PDF Expert (2) with that dropped PDF displayed.
The following AppleScript is how you write a folder action. This one opens (tested on El Capitan) the dropped PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC when you use the right-click and download the pdf into the Desktop folder that has the folder action attached to it.
on adding folder items to this_folder after receiving these_items
tell application "Adobe Acrobat Reader DC" to open (item 1 of these_items)
return
end adding folder items to
- Make a new folder on your Desktop (e.g. PDF Drop).
- Copy/paste the above script code into your Script Editor (Launchpad : Other : Script Editor).
- Change the application name to PDF Expert 2 (or whatever).
- Save As pdf_drop as File Format: Script (e.g pdf_drop.script) into the following folder:
- ~/Library/Workflows/Applications/Folder Actions
- Right-click on your PDF Drop folder, and under the Services menu, choose Folder Actions Setup...
- A list of folder actions will appear. Choose yours from above.
- When you are done, the Folder Actions Setup panel will look like this:
- Test this with a new PDF download link as... into the PDF Drop folder.
-
Sep 22, 2016 10:16 AMby s_w_i_t_t_e_r_s,Thanks very much for the instructions on creating a folder action. That may be a viable workaround.
However, this has nothing to do with the fact that I'm using PDF Expert as my default PDF viewer. I tried switching to Preview as my default viewer, and PDFs still do not automatically open after download.
Note that in Chrome and Firefox, PDFs open automatically after downloading. So the problem appears to be with Safari.
-
Sep 22, 2016 11:15 AMby VikingOSX,Just launch Automator, and without specifying New document, just quit it. That will create the local Library Workflows folder hierarchy for you.
Firefox has always had a Preferences : Application panel that currently by default, opens a PDF in-browser. But it also allows you to specify an external PDF handling application that it will pass the PDF file to, and then launch that PDF handler for you. Safari will not directly open a selected PDF in an external application for you.
The Get Info -> Open with settings are intended for clicks on existing PDF documents that are already resident on the filesystem — not incoming downloads.
-
Sep 22, 2016 11:38 AMby VikingOSX,I believe it does answer the question. Safari is not designed to hand-off PDF documents to any application.
I just opened Safari 5.1.10 on OS X 10.6.8, turned off Internet plug-ins, selected open safe files in Preferences General, and it behaved the very same way that Safari 10 on macOS Sierra does — no hand off to an external default viewer.
I could reboot my Mac and try this again in Mountain Lion, but there is not point. You are expecting features that are not designed into the application, and want further explanation. Send feedback to the Safari Product team here.
-
Sep 22, 2016 2:57 PMby VikingOSX,HelpfulAs far as I can tell, that Safari Preferences : General check box is simply useless, and suggests what it cannot deliver. That's on Apple.
However, whether you have this checked or not... — if you have the Safari Preferences : Security panel : Allow Plug-ins unchecked, or checked with other PDF plug-ins deselected, the PDF will appear in-browser via the default Apple PDF plug-in.
As you mouse over the bottom of this displayed PDF document, the following panel will appear:
If you click the indicated icon, it will open the PDF in any separate application that happens to be configured in the Get Info panel's open with setting. I successfully tested this with Acrobat Reader DC, Preview, and Skim.
-
Sep 22, 2016 3:42 PMby VikingOSX,The right, adjacent button on that floating PDF panel is a Save button, and it puts the currently viewed PDF right in the Downloads folder.
The Downloads alias on the Dock, next to the Trash can, will show that PDF in its stack, where you can with a single-click, open it in your default PDF viewer.
Unless there is some undocumented magic at Apple Support, I don't see a solution that will permit a direct browser download that opens in a designated PDF viewer solution that you seek. Unless you use the folder action approach.
