How to Stop Opening PDF in Chrome for Security?

Learn how to stop PDFs from automatically opening in Chrome and protect your data. Follow simple steps to disable in-browser PDF viewing for better security.

Jul 16, 2025 - 18:50
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Web browsers like Chrome are considered the automatic PDF Viewer for accessing or reading the document online. Here, you wont need to install any third-party software or a reader for document management. Besides the usability, there is a high chance of a data breach. To minimize the risk, you might seek for how to stop opening PDF in Chrome browser. Follow this stepwise guide to discover the ways to protect the document from being accessed in Chrome.

Why Do PDFs Automatically Open in Chrome?

Chrome has an amazing built-in feature, allowing users to open documents like PDFs without downloading any tool. Instead of installing the PDF Reader tools, Chrome can instantly open your PDF instead of downloading it. Hence, it is considered the default PDF Viewer by many professional users. In this way, you wont need to depend on or install other PDF Reader applications. Below are some features of Chrome PDF Reader:

  • Instant visualization of a PDF document on your phone, Android, and other devices.

  • Allows you to search text within your PDF files without any hassle.

  • Direct feature to print the PDF while using the Chrome browser.

In simple words, Chrome browser is considered a lightweight PDF Viewer. Here, you wont need external software like Adobe Acrobat Reader or the Foxit tool for viewing the document. Besides the benefits, the question is on security. Hence, many of you have queries like Is it safe to use this free PDF reader? Find it in the section below.

Also Read: How to restrict editing in pdf documents.

Is Chrome PDF Viewer Safe to Use?

Opening the PDFs in Chrome isnt safe every time. If the document contains highly sensitive data, malicious actors can take this opportunity to copy or tamper with the confidential information. Here, you might look for how to stop opening PDF in Chrome browser. Follow the stepwise guide below for protecting the document from Chrome. So, lets dive into it.

How to Stop Opening PDF in Chrome - Online PDF Tools to Protect PDFs

If youre seeking how to stop PDFs from opening in Chrome, try online PDF platforms like iLovePDF, Smallpdf, PDF24 Creators, etc. Using these free tools, you can easily safeguard the document with a password. To prevent the chances of directly opening a PDF document, choosing free online services is the best choice. These are handy tools allowing you to batch secure PDF files without data loss.

With this, you can maintain document protection while preventing the changes of leakage. To use this software, you wont require any external sources or third-party tools like Adobe Acrobat Pro for password protecting the document. Now, follow the steps on how to prevent PDF from opening in Chrome using online PDF tools:

  1. On your web browser, open a free online PDF tool like iLovePDF.

  2. Drag & Drop the PDF files to protect the document with security.

  3. In the Password dialog box, type a strong and complex password.

  4. Press the Lock/ Start button to protect the PDF from opening in Chrome.

Cons of Free Online Tools: Online PDF tools are handy, but these platforms arent secure for professionals and business users. Moreover, these free online services are capable of extracting confidential information from your document. It can further lead to data loss and even tampering. Hence, it is suggested to look for other secure options for safeguarding the PDF from opening in the Chrome web browser.

How to Stop Opening PDF in Chrome - SysTools PDF Protecting Tools

Previously, we have listed how to stop PDFs from opening in Chrome using online PDF tools. Since there are major limitations in the above methods, use SysTools PDF Locker. This is a professional-grade and more trusted tool for protecting the PDF document from opening in Chrome. This is a reliable solution allowing you to lock a document with a password and permissions like editing, content copying, page printing, and more.

Using this tool, you can easily secure or lock the document with a strong password. Besides this, the utility provides a user-friendly interface and advanced features like encryption protection. Most importantly, you can apply a robust encryption algorithm like 128-bit and 256-bit AES. In this way, you can lock PDF and prevent the chances of opening the document in the Chrome web browser. So, lets discover the working of this pro tool.

Guide on How to Stop PDFs from Opening in Chrome

  1. Open the SysTools Pro PDF tool on your Windows machine.

  2. Add Files or Folders to add the PDF to the dashboard of the tool.

  3. Change button to set the location of the output PDF document > Next.

  4. Go to Apply Open Password to add the strong password > then re-enter it.

  5. Lastly, hit the Lock button and then download the PDF document instantly.

  6. After this, you can stop the opening of PDF files on the Chrome browser.

Concluding Words

In the above guide, we have shared ways on how to stop opening PDF in Chrome. Using these methods, you can protect the PDF document from opening in the Chrome browser. Instead of using a free online tool, use the SysTools PDF locking solution. It is a more trusted and secure tool, recommended by professionals for securing PDF files. Besides this, it allows you to batch lock PDFs with a password to prevent opening in Chrome browser.