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How do I keep from having the bookmarks sidebar open when I open a pdf file in Adobe Acrobat?

Unfortunately, Adobe Acrobat does not offer a global setting to permanently disable the bookmarks sidebar (also called the navigation pane) for all PDFs. The bookmarks panel's behavior is tied to individual document properties or specific application settings that don’t fully address this for unsaved or temporary files (e.g., PDFs opened from emails or the web). However, there are a few workarounds you can try, based on available information and user discussions. Here’s how you can minimize or prevent the bookmarks sidebar from opening by default:

Workarounds for Adobe Acrobat (Pro, Reader, or DC)

  1. Adjust Document Properties for Saved PDFs
    For PDFs you save and reuse, you can set the initial view to hide the bookmarks panel:
    • Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
    • Go to File > Properties (or press Ctrl+D on Windows, Cmd+D on macOS).
    • Select the Initial View tab.
    • In the Navigation Tab dropdown, choose Page Only (instead of "Bookmarks Panel and Page").
    • Save the PDF and close it.
    • Reopen the file to confirm the bookmarks panel is hidden.
      Note: This only works for PDFs you can save and doesn’t apply to temporary files opened from emails or the web.
  2. Enable "Restore Last View Settings" in Preferences
    This setting may help Acrobat remember your last view configuration for reopened files:
    • Go to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat > Preferences (macOS).
    • Select the Documents category.
    • Check Restore last view settings when reopening documents.
    • Open a PDF, manually close the bookmarks panel (click the left arrow or drag it closed), then save and close the file.
    • Future PDFs may open with the bookmarks panel closed, but this isn’t guaranteed for unsaved files or new PDFs.
       
      Limitation: This method is inconsistent for files that aren’t saved or when the document’s properties override the setting.
  3. Disable New Acrobat Experience (Acrobat Pro or DC)
    Some users report success by reverting to the older Acrobat interface, which may respect the "Tools Pane" or sidebar settings better:
    • Go to File > Disable New Acrobat (or look for a similar option in the main menu, depending on your version).
    • Then, go to Edit > Preferences > Documents and check Remember current state of Tools Pane.
    • Close the bookmarks panel manually in a PDF, then close Acrobat.
    • Reopen Acrobat and check if the bookmarks panel remains hidden.
       
      Note: This option may not be available in the latest versions (e.g., 2024.003.20054 or newer), and disabling the new experience might limit some features. It also may not work for Acrobat Reader.
       
  4. Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Quickly Close the Sidebar
    If the above methods don’t work, you can quickly hide the bookmarks panel using a shortcut:
    • Press Shift + F4 (Windows) or Shift + Fn + F4 (macOS) to toggle the navigation pane (bookmarks panel) off.
      This is a manual step but faster than clicking the arrow to close the panel each time.
       
  5. Modify Registry Keys (Windows, Advanced Users)
    Some users have reported success by editing Windows registry keys to control Acrobat’s behavior, though this is not officially supported and should be done cautiously:
    • Open the Registry Editor (regedit).
    • Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Acrobat Reader\DC\AVGeneral (or similar, depending on your version).
    • Look for keys related to bToggleNavPane or bShowNavPane and set their value to 0 to hide the navigation pane.
    • Close and restart Acrobat.
      Warning: Modifying the registry can cause issues if done incorrectly. Back up your registry before making changes. This method may not work consistently across all versions or for unsaved files.
       
      Limitation: This may not apply to Acrobat Reader or newer versions, and it doesn’t work for PDFs opened via browser plugins.
       
  6. Switch to an Alternative PDF Viewer
    If the bookmarks sidebar remains a persistent issue, consider using an alternative PDF reader like Foxit Reader or SumatraPDF, which allow you to disable sidebars more reliably or don’t display them by default. For example:
    • Foxit Reader: Users report that hiding the sidebar once keeps it hidden for future sessions.
    • SumatraPDF: A lightweight reader with minimal interface elements and no default sidebar.
      Note: Some PDFs (e.g., forms or secure documents) may require Adobe Acrobat, so this may not be a complete solution.