Mark Hachman / IDG
Dealing with an Adobe Acrobat PDF file that you have to edit, sign and return can still be a pain, even on modern browsers. Mozilla’s Firefox 106 release, however, says it solved the problem, with editable PDF files that you can sign as well.
The latest version of Firefox, which can be downloaded here. This version allows you to add text and signatures, draw on it, and check boxes. All you need to do is open a PDF file in the new Firefox and use the markup options in the upper right-hand corner to make any necessary adjustments. You can either fill out existing fields or add a text box for additional comments. You can also ink a signature.
If you’d like, you can also make Firefox the default PDF browser. We’ve confirmed these changes on Firefox 106 ourselves.
The new version includes Firefox View. This feature allows your browsing experience to keep going as you move from your phone to your desktop PC. You can browse to a site on your phone and then click the Firefox View tab on your desktop. You’ll also see a neat list of recently viewed sites, no matter what device you viewed them on. Of course, you’ll need to own and be signed into a Firefox account to do so and also have it on your phone.
To be fair, editable PDFs work on other browsers as well, including the default version of Microsoft Edge that ships with your Windows 11 PC. Downloading a standard 1040 tax return (PDF) from the U.S. government should provide editable fields where you can enter your income, checkboxes to click, and so on. Edge (and Firefox) also ship with a writing tool to digitally sign your name or you can use third-party services like Docusign to do the same thing. Just remember to download the PDF to your PC when you’re done.
Editing PDFs on browsers has been one of the last great frustrations of the modern web era. Just being able to quickly make changes and return, say, a child’s field-trip permission form without having to print, sign, scan, and email it is a huge relief.
Author: Mark Hachman, Senior Editor
As PCWorld’s senior editor, Mark focuses on Microsoft news and chip technology, among other beats. He has formerly written for PCMag, BYTE, Slashdot, eWEEK, and ReadWrite.