Can't open PDF files in iBooks on my iPad

He's absolutely right. Can't use more than 10 open in PDF apps otherwise iBooks disappears. What a joke.

This is a absolute joke. I have more than 70 apps I use all the time, and now when I try to open a PDF from one app to another, I only see a random list of 10 apps that support that format. For example, I am trying to open a PDF in ibooks and dropbox, but they are not even on the list and I have no control over that, except to delete apps I use and paid a lot of money for. Come on Apple, this is a big issue. Please fix!

You are not addressing Apple here. This is a user-to-user forum. You can provide feedback to Apple here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

Thank you James. I thought that Apple looked through these forums and paid attention to them. I did submit a detailed explanation of the issue to the ipad feedback, as I did not see a iOS feedback option. I hope everyone having this issue submits feedback so this can be fixed. This has to be one of the most irrritating things I have ever come across as I can't even open my PDF in expensive apps I have purchased, unless I delete some, or in my case, a lot of valuable apps. The major issue is that so many apps that I don't even use for PDF support opening them and are taking up a spot on that dropdown, and the app I really want to open it in can't. What a bummer.

It's a limit related to the number of apps that can support opening PDF's. If we have more than 10 PDF apps installed in iOS that support opening PDF's, only 10 random ones will show in the drop down "open in" menu.

What y'all don't realize is that nothing seems to work relating to iBooks and PDFs! I don't have 10 apps that read PDFs and still, iBooks will not open PDFs and store them in my iBooks library! This has been an ongoing problem since the last couple of IOS updates and I think that it has to do with iBooks itself. Due to a conflict in the new updates. I have tried everything to get PDFs to open in iBooks to no avail. So, now if I have PDFs that I want to save and read, I use GoodReader exclusively. I have even tried opening PDFs in iBooks after making sure that iBooks is not running ithe background and that does not work! Nothing works!!! This has been the most frustrating thing about iBooks and Apple and when I called tech support to report the problem, they said I could talk to someone else but it would cost me something like $35. When I explained that this was a GLOBAL problem with iBooks and how it handles PDFs they acted like it wasn't their problem and the woman did not care. So, until Apple finally fixes iBooks, I will not use iBooks for reading PDFs. Now, I only use iBooks for reading books that I purchase through the iBooks Store and I use it because Imlikethe way the books a presented for reading, like page-turning looks like real paper pages, etc. One other big gripe I have with Apple and iBooks is that you can only read books purchased in the iBooks Store because iBooks won't read any other formats. When I had my old Handspring Treo (later Palm Treo) it would read all e-doc formats or there was software available that would let you convert the format to a readable on for the Treo. I have a couple of conversion software apps like Calibri and Stanza and neither one will convert an e-book to be read on the iPad in iBooks. So, I guess we are stuck for now with an app that is not as user-friendly as apps and hardware that Apple has been known for for 38 years or so. And I have been an Apple user since the beginning, so go figure! Yes, it is time that someone form Apple read the posts in this and other Apple-sponsored forums and did something about the problems instead of f***ing ignoring us!!!

I worked through my issues with iBooks, thanks to this thread. I was and am not concerned with "old" pdfs or anything else on the iPad. I am trying hard to enforce a Luddite morality on a hitec tool and not spend money 🙂

My 1st problem was figure out how to synch with iTunes that had a copy of iBooks. Which ment upgrading the OS on the iPad. Scary for new OS user. Once this happened, I had an old XP machine with iTunes on it with iBooks as an app and the synch went fine.I do use any apps that are not on the iPad out of the box except for iBooks. I also use the iPhone configuration uitlity and a profile to lockdown many of the features of the iPad (including installing apps, canmera etc).

A typical iPad will have 100-150 pdfs on it. I have one group of 50 students who are 10 weeks into their course of study with no iBooks issues. We have an internal wireless network where they use a CMS to access their materials, exams, forums, evaluations and lessons when on our campus. The iPads belong to us, so our rules (not to be used for entertainment).

I can appreciate that there are other environments and attitudes. Glad to hear that Apple has the same issues as other OSs: too many similar apps tend to get it confuzeled, despite the claims of the OS.

I know a couple of users with this issue. The workaround they discovered involves keeping the "PDF" collection in iBooks completely cleaned out.

Make some other collection shelves and move your PDFs to them. Before attempting, leave iBooks viewing the PDF collection shelf. Tap the Home button to return to the home screen. Double-tap the Home button to view the list of opened apps. Tap and hold on iBooks till the red X appears. Tap the red X to completely quit iBooks. Tap the Home button two times to return Home. Then go to Mail and attempt to "Send to...".

Yeah well maybe its two separate issues. I can't open PDF's into my Dropbox anymore.

As of ios 6 can't open any pdfs; tried all the usual tricks. Is there another pdf reader that has similar organizational abilties as iBooks, and also displays covers? (Goodreader is doesn't).

This may not help the rest of you, but I, too, have spent several frustrating days trying to get PDFs to load to iBooks. It used to be no problem, and I had dozens in there. Suddenly, they all disappeared, and I could not reload them or any new ones.

So, I sat there starring at an empty iBook shelf on my iPad, wondering what to try next, when I noticed a little button that said "Collections" right next to "Store" on the top on the left hand side. I tapped it idly while I mused on the problem, and a short list popped up:

* Books

* PDFs

* New

* Edit

Books was checked. I tapped on PDFs, and there were all my PDFs!

Books and PDFs used to all be listed on the same shelf, but no more. Apparently, this change was implemented the last time I upgraded the app, but because I just click on "download all free updates" on a semi-regular basis without really paying attention to what is being updated, I didn't associate the disappearance with an update.

Of course, I now feel like a total idiot, I may be the only person who was stumped by this seemingly small change, but I thought I would mention it in case it turns out to be someone else's simple solution.

What a bummer. On iOS5.1.1, everything was great. Now, on my iPad 3 w/ iOS6 and I can no longer open PDF's shown in Safari, into iBooks. (It goes without saying that it is much easier to read a 900-page PDF in iBooks than in Safari.) I tried in Google Chrome, and Skyfire, still with no joy. Until Apple fixes this, my workaround: use a computer to put the PDF into my Dropbox. Open the PDF using the iOS App: PDF Expert (which I connected to my dropbox.) PDF Expert is not as sleek as iBooks, but it's better than Safari...

It's a potentially pretty hefty sized document 900 pages worth of pdf. Got space (in iCloud if you're running sync)?

Latest version of iBooks sorts the problem I had opening PDF files, thanks.

I opened a PDF I had in Dropbox; I then had the option of opening it in iBooks, didn't you (the top right dropdown menu gave me the option of reopening it (Print/Open) in IBooks and five others including Kindle, Cloudreader, Goodreader, etc.)?

Actually, just had another look at Safari; if you tap the top on the document, just under the tabs bar, there should be a black bar come up with the option to open the pdf in iBooks or other apps.