PDFs don't work on iPad Pro nor iPhone 6s

Question

PDFs don't work on iPad Pro nor iPhone 6s

I have both an iPad Pro (9.8") and an iPhone 6s. Both are running iOS 10.0.2. PDFs don't work. I can see them in Safari, but there is no option to save them to iBooks or to my GoodNotes app.

If I save PDFs from Safari to iCloud Drive (either via iPad, iPhone, or my Mac), they seem to save fine, but I can't open them on the iPad or iPhone. When I click to open the PDF, all I get is a document icon. They open fine on the Mac.

In Mail (on the iPad and iPhone), all I get is an image of the first page.

The new option in iOS 10 to print-to-PDF is also not available.

This seems to be a long standing problem that people have had in the past, but, unlike every other problem I've ever encountered with an Apple product, nobody seems to have a solution other than to install a third-party PDF app (which didn't work either). Someone please help! I desperately need to be able to open PDFs on my iPad for work.

Posted on Oct 8, 2016 4:21 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

bobseufert

Level 6

15,874 points

Oct 8, 2016 6:49 PM in response to Carlos Madrid

Try holding your finger in the PDF thumbnail then tap share.

Tap folder.

Hold PDF thumbnail till share apears. Tap share.

Your choice.

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Answer 2

Oct 8, 2016 6:52 PM in response to bobseufert

Thanks for the tip. Still no luck. iBooks doesn't even appear as a option and the note on the iPad and iPad only contains an icon (it shows as a PDF on the Mac).

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Answer 3

Oct 8, 2016 6:53 PM in response to Carlos Madrid

Sorry, I meant iPad or iPhone.

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Answer 4

bobseufert

Level 6

15,874 points

Oct 8, 2016 7:14 PM in response to Carlos Madrid

You're welcome. Did you try tapping or holding the PDF icon in your screenshot ?

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Answer 5

Oct 8, 2016 8:40 PM in response to bobseufert

Yes. Same thing.

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Answer 6

bobseufert

Level 6

15,874 points

Oct 8, 2016 8:47 PM in response to Carlos Madrid

Hang tight. I'm going to see if I can find a iPhone person that can help.

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Answer 7

turingtest2

Level 10

275,154 points

Oct 9, 2016 12:54 AM in response to Carlos Madrid

Hmm. Are you creating the note on the Mac and then trying to open the attachment from a cloud copy of the note on the iPhone? I've just tried replicating here and it looks as if when I create a note from a PDF in Safari on the iPhone, what I actually get is a link to the URL rather than a fully embedded copy of the PDF. Obviously if you were making a link to locally held file on your Mac then the same link won't work on your device.

tt2

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Answer 8

bobseufert

Level 6

15,874 points

Oct 9, 2016 1:14 AM in response to turingtest2

Thanks for answering the call. Please stop by my Batcall when you hear something.

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Answer 9

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,102 points

Oct 9, 2016 2:52 AM in response to Carlos Madrid

I have nothing here to test that.

I suggest to read the PDF into iBooks on your Mac then sync it to the iPhone with iTunes or iMazing.

Lex

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Answer 10

turingtest2

Level 10

275,154 points

Oct 9, 2016 5:03 AM in response to Carlos Madrid

What I forgot to say earlier is that I made a folder for PDFs in iCloud Drive, and PDFs I drop straight into that work as expected on both the Mac and my iDevices, although I cannot personally test AirPrint.

tt2

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Answer 11

Oct 9, 2016 7:48 AM in response to turingtest2

Thanks for jumping in.

I can see PDFs in Safari. If I save a PDF in iBooks on my Mac, then I can read it in iBooks on my iPhone and iPad.

I can't save/"open in" iBooks on the iPhone or iPad. I can save to iCloud Drive or Notes from the iPhone or iPad, but I'll only see an icon (as indicated in the screenshot above) Those same PDFs will open/be visible as PDFs on the Mac. Also, any PDFs saved to iCloud on the Mac are only visible as icons on the iPhone and iPad.

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Answer 12

turingtest2

Level 10

275,154 points

Oct 9, 2016 11:13 AM in response to Carlos Madrid

After opening a PDF in Safari on my iPhone this menu appears briefly. I can bring it up by clicking refresh. Using More... I can save the PDF in my iCloud Drive, and then it shows in iCloud Drive on my Mac, or I can open in iBooks, and again it is available in iBooks on the Mac.

tt2

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Answer 13

Oct 9, 2016 3:51 PM in response to turingtest2

Yeah. That's what used to happen a couple of weeks ago, then one day (with no new apps), the iBooks option disappeared (also not there if I click for more options) and PDFs saved in iCloud stopped opening.

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Answer 14

bobseufert

Level 6

15,874 points

Oct 9, 2016 5:00 PM in response to Carlos Madrid

This is a long shot. Make sure you have no restrictions enabled. I don't know what restriction would cause this behavior but I do know the cause of many problems after an update is that the update changed your settings (update gremlins.)

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Answer 15

Oct 9, 2016 5:34 PM in response to bobseufert

No restrictions.

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