Chrome is a widely used web browser that is popular for its fast, secure and reliable performance. One of the features that sets Chrome apart from other browsers is its built-in PDF viewer. This feature allows users to open and view PDF files directly in Chrome without the need for any additional software or plugins.

However, sometimes the Chrome PDF viewer may fail to function properly. This can be due to various reasons such as outdated browser or PDF viewer, conflicting plugins or extensions, corrupt PDF files, or other technical issues. Fortunately, there are some simple steps that you can follow to fix Chrome PDF viewer not working issue.
Clear cache and cookies

The first thing you should try when encountering Chrome PDF viewer issues is clearing your browser cache and cookies. This will remove any temporary files and data that may be causing conflicts with the PDF viewer.
To clear cache and cookies in Chrome, follow these steps:

1. Open Chrome and click on the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the screen.

2. Click on “More tools” and then “Clear browsing data”.

3. Select “All time” as the time range and tick the box next to “Cookies and other site data” and “Cached images and files”.

4. Click on “Clear data” and wait for the process to complete.

Update Chrome and PDF viewer

If clearing cache and cookies did not solve the issue, the next step is to update Chrome and the PDF viewer. Outdated versions of the browser or the viewer can cause compatibility issues and affect their performance.

To update Chrome, follow these steps:

1. Open Chrome and click on the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the screen.

2. Click on “Help” and then “About Google Chrome”.

3. Chrome will automatically check for updates and download them if available.

To update the PDF viewer, follow these steps:

1. Type chrome://plugins in the address bar and press Enter.

2. Locate “Chrome PDF Viewer” and click on “Enable” if it is disabled.

3. If the viewer is outdated, click on “Details” and then “Check for update”.

Disable conflicting plugins or extensions

Conflicting plugins or extensions can also cause issues with the Chrome PDF viewer. Try disabling any plugins or extensions that may be interfering with the viewer.

To disable plugins or extensions in Chrome, follow these steps:

1. Open Chrome and click on the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the screen.

2. Click on “More tools” and then “Extensions”.

3. Disable any plugins or extensions that may be causing the issue by toggling the switch next to them to “Off”.

Use a third-party PDF viewer

If none of the above solutions works, you can try switching to a third-party PDF viewer. There are several free PDF viewers available that can integrate with Chrome and provide better functionality than the built-in viewer.
Some popular third-party PDF viewers for Chrome include Adobe Acrobat Reader, Foxit Reader, and Nitro PDF Reader.