How to Permanently Hide or Disable the Tools Pane in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

When you open a PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, the Tools pane appears on the right side of the interface. It showcases features like Protect PDF and Optimize PDF, which are primarily designed to encourage upgrades to Acrobat Standard or Pro. While hiding it temporarily is straightforward, it reappears upon reopening the application, which can disrupt your workflow when handling multiple documents.

Fortunately, Adobe added a preference option following user feedback, allowing the app to remember your Tools pane state. For those seeking a complete solution, we'll also cover how to remove it entirely from the interface.

Follow these proven steps, based on official Adobe configurations and file modifications tested on Windows systems.

Permanently Hide the Tools Pane

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC now includes a built-in option to retain the Tools pane's hidden state across sessions. Access it via the Preferences panel for reliable results.

Step 1: First, hide the Tools pane manually as you normally would.

Note: This step is essential before enabling the preference, as it instructs the app to remember the current state rather than force-hiding it.

Step 2: Click Edit > Preferences.

Step 3: Select the Documents tab and check Remember current state of Tools pane.

Step 4: Click OK to apply changes.

The Tools pane will now stay hidden when you reopen Adobe Reader DC.

Note: If you manually show the pane and then close the app, it may reappear. Simply hide it again, and the setting will take effect.

Completely Remove the Tools Pane

The hidden Tools pane still occupies space near the scrollbar, risking accidental activation and reducing document visibility. For a cleaner experience, remove it permanently. Free tools like Comment and Export PDF remain accessible via the menu bar or Tools tab.

Important: This involves editing a file in the Adobe directory. Close Adobe Reader DC first.

Step 1: Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog. Paste the path below and click OK:

C:Program Files (x86)AdobeAcrobat Reader DCReaderAcroAppENU

Note: Adjust the drive letter (e.g., D:) if your OS is on a different partition.

Step 2: Right-click Viewer.aapp and select Properties.

Step 3: Go to the Security tab and click Edit.

Step 4: Select Users, check Full Control, then click Apply > OK. Confirm in Properties.

Step 5: Back up Viewer.aapp to another location for easy restoration.

Step 6: Right-click Viewer.aapp > Open with.

Step 7: Choose Notepad (select More apps if needed) and click OK.

Step 8: Delete the content between and including the <Layout> and </Layout> tags.

Step 9: Save the file (File > Save) and close Notepad.

Restart Adobe Reader DC—the Tools pane is now permanently removed.

Tip: Restore by overwriting with your backup.

Streamline Your PDF Workflow

With the Tools pane out of the way, enjoy a distraction-free PDF viewing experience in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. Share your thoughts on Adobe's upselling tactics in the comments below.