How do I find and use Adobe PDF Reader on iMac?

Apple does not install Adobe Acrobat Reader with the operating system. You can download and install it for free from Adobe:

https://get.adobe.com/reader/

You can use the built-in Preview app instead to fill in PDF forms.

click here ➜ Fill out and sign a PDF form in Preview on macOS Ventura - Apple Support

It isn't there until you download and install it.

https://get.adobe.com/reader/

The free trial notice is if you upgrade the app to the Pro version. Just leave it alone and it will remain as the free Reader version, which can fill form based PDFs as is.

But yes, it's a really stupid and confusing message. Plus all of Pro features are there and will cause this box to appear every time you click one.

Click the top left button of the popup to close the box and get it out of your way.

Kurt Lang wrote:

Yeah, the Reader isn't really just the Reader anymore. What you actually get now is the full version in trial mode. It will always work as the Reader did with no time limit, but it pushes you into signing up for the full version subscription.

I get that it's easier for Adobe to handle only one source code, but I still don't like the change.

I get that Adobe would love for people to pay $12.99 USD per month for "Acrobat Standard" or $19.99 USD per month for "Acrobat Pro" – plus another $4.99 USD per month for the "AI Assistant for Acrobat add-on".

Adobe – Adobe Acrobat Pricing

Yeah, the Reader isn't really just the Reader anymore. What you actually get now is the full version in trial mode. It will always work as the Reader did with no time limit, but it pushes you into signing up for the full version subscription.

I get that it's easier for Adobe to handle only one source code, but I still don't like the change.

Which is why I dumped all but Photoshop after we closed our business. I replaced everything else with free, or one time cost apps. Anything (other than PS) that were subscription were automatically out of consideration.

Illustrator - Affinity Designer

Premiere Pro, After Effects - DaVinci Resolve (full version)

Acrobat Pro - Master PDF Editor

Audition - WavePad

InDesign - nothing as I have no need for a page layout app

Dreamweaver - Sitely

I stuck with Photoshop because I got it relatively cheap. That, and I have third party filters I use a lot that will only run in PS. I tested them with Affinity Photo, but they wouldn't function there, even though it let me add them. The PS/Lightroom combo was $9.99 per month at the time. Now it's $19.9 for the same thing (currently on sale for $14.98). I'm never going to let my cheaper contract drop.

Note that if you "subscribed" to Acrobat Pro for five years, at $19.99 USD per month, your total damage would add up to $1199.40, before taxes.

That would be almost enough to get you a 24" iMac or a system based on a Mac mini!

Kurt Lang wrote:

The PS/Lightroom combo was $9.99 per month at the time. Now it's $19.9 for the same thing (currently on sale for $14.98). I'm never going to let my cheaper contract drop.

There used to be three Photography Plans:

• Lightroom, 1 TB of Adobe cloud storage – $9.99/month
• Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, 20 GB of Adobe cloud storage – $9.99/month
• Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, 1 TB of Adobe cloud storage – $19.99/month

It looks like the first plan has gone up to $11.99/month, and the second one has gone "bye bye". The third one is still around, and is the one currently on sale for $14.98/month (for the first six months, after which you would pay the regular $19.99/month).

https://www.adhttps://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/faq/CCPp.html

Sure enough, a bit more poking around uncovered this:

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/faq/CCPp.html

"Can I switch to the Creative Cloud Photography (20GB) plan from the Creative Cloud Photography (1TB) plan?

No, unfortunately the Creative Cloud Photography (20GB) plan is no longer available for new subscriptions, as of January 15, 2025."

Yup, that's the same thing I found.

What really irks folks is how Adobe prices things. If you can get the Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, 1 TB of Adobe cloud storage – $19.99/month package, then why is Photoshop alone $22.99? Why would you get only two of any major apps when the full package of everything is essentially the same price?

Or when I informed Adobe I was dropping my full $54.95 per month plan down to the $9.99 PS/Lightroom, and I suddenly get an offer for a permanent price of $34.99 per month for the full suite. Really? Why didn't you offer that to a decades long Adobe user before? Why isn't that the price for everyone now?

Adobe being sneaky. 😏

The link that I provided only offers to download the free Acrobat Reader. Nothing about the subscription to Adobe Acrobat Pro or Free trial.

I was a bit surprised myself. I don't remember which version it was when it changed to what it is now.