Can I use PDFBetter offline?
Mostly no. Your documents live in your account, so pdfbetter.com and the Mac and Windows apps need an internet connection. When you're offline, the desktop app shows a reconnect screen. The iPhone app keeps edits on the device until it can sync.
Updated 1 min read
| Where | Offline? |
|---|---|
| pdfbetter.com in a browser | No. Pages and documents load from your account. |
| Mac and Windows apps | No. The app shows the live PDFBetter, so it needs a connection just like the website. |
| iPhone and iPad app | Partly. Edits you make while offline are kept on the device and sync when the app can reach PDFBetter again. |
If the desktop app loses its connection
Step 1: Read the message
The app shows Can't reach PDFBetter and asks you to check your internet connection.
Step 2: Reconnect
Fix the connection. PDFBetter reconnects as soon as you're back online.
Step 3: Retry if needed
Click Try Again to reload right away.
Work you saved before the connection dropped is in your account. Browser tools, such as merge, split and rotate, process files on your device, but the page itself still has to load from pdfbetter.com first.
On iPhone and iPad
- The app tells you when you're offline and that edits are kept on the device.
- AI results you've already opened can still be shown from the device.
- Scanning and text recognition run on the iPhone itself.
- Anything that needs the server, such as sending for signature, downloading an edited copy or new AI answers, waits for a connection.
Does the desktop app keep copies of my files on my computer?
No. The desktop app opens your documents from your account, the same as the website. To keep a copy on your computer, download it.
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Related articles
- Use one PDFBetter account on several devicesSign in with the same account everywhere: pdfbetter.com, the Mac and Windows apps and the iPhone app. Your documents, saved signatures and plan are the same on every device. There's no device limit.
- Install PDFBetter on your MacDownload the Mac app from pdfbetter.com/download/mac, open the .dmg and drag PDFBetter into Applications. It's signed and notarized by Apple, needs macOS 12 or later, and signs you in through your browser.
- PDFBetter on iPhone and iPadThe PDFBetter iPhone and iPad app is coming to the App Store. Until it's out, pdfbetter.com works in Safari on any iPhone or iPad, including filling, signing and sending documents. The app uses the same account and documents as the web.
- Supported browsers and fixing saving or loading problemsUse a current version of Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox with JavaScript on. If the editor shows Offline — will retry, keep the tab open; it saves when you reconnect. Changed elsewhere means another tab edited the document: choose Reload latest or Keep my version.