New features summary | July 2024 release of Acrobat

Refreshed comments pane UI

The new release primarily focuses on enhancing the Comment Panel UI for improved usability and visual appeal. It introduces a refined look for PLC/comment tiles, an updated color scheme, and a more interactive hover experience. The selected comment panel now displays additional information and features, and the desktop menus have been simplified. The reply box has been enhanced for better visibility. These updates aim to provide a more streamlined and engaging user experience.

Improved experience to distinguish read and unread comments

You can now easily spot unread comments in Acrobat—just look for the blue dot over the display image or avatar. This new feature ensures quick identification and efficient management of unread comments within your documents.

Undo and redo support for comments in review files

Undo and redo functionality is now available for comments in review files on Acrobat Desktop, aligning with user expectations for authoring tools. Previously, undo was only available for local file commenting.

Key enhancements include:

• Undo support for adding and removing comments (sticky notes, highlights, drawings).
• Single undo for restoring deleted comments.
• An efficient way to handle multiple comments and removals, where comments and deletions are managed in an orderly, with the most recent ones being addressed first.
  
• Comments by others cannot be edited or undone.
• Undo and redo the comment resolve action.

These changes bring consistency with local file commenting and address unique considerations for review files.

Revamped undo/redo experience for comments in local files

• Users can now undo or redo any newly created comment with a single action (Ctrl+Z or toolbar icon).
• Improved stability for undoing or redoing the creation, deletion, and editing of comments, including sticky comments, highlighting, underlining, strikethrough, and drawing annotations.

Include attachments while replying on Outlook

Users can now include attachments as links while replying, overcoming Outlook's limitations and enhancing the user experience for sharing.

Comment filter interaction improvements

Users can now view a Time Posted live filtering counter, which allows them to easily see the implications of applying filters.

Draft state support for comments

With this release, Acrobat has improved the user experience for adding comments. Users can now leave comments in the draft state and safely navigate to other parts of the document without losing or accidentally posting the comment.

Your comments will be in draft state unless you select Post in the comment box or press Ctrl + Enter(Windows) or command + return (macOS).

The latest release changes the experience of commenting for you as follows:

1. You can now explore other parts of the document or copy text to include in your comment without posting the comment you have written. Your comment stays in draft mode until you post it.
2.  You now get a prompt to cancel or post the comment if you add an annotation while your comment is in draft.
3. When closing a document with draft comments, you get a pop-up notification with options to cancel, leave, or post and leave.
4. If you save your file, the draft comment will get posted, and the file will be saved. If you share, the draft comment gets posted, the file gets saved, and the share workflow opens.

Request signature in edit workflow

This feature helps users identify the Request Signatures option in the Edit workflow. It is currently turned off by default as the decision to fully implement it is still under consideration and will be revisited.

Request signature while sharing

You can now Request e-signatures while you share your documents identified as agreements. Select the Share button in Acrobat and then select Request e-signatures.

Request e-signatures using the document message bar

Request Signature in the document message bar at the top of the document helps the user to find Request Signature more prominently when a fill and sign tool is placed on the doc from quick tools. 

Improved E-sign panel

The E-sign panel has been reconfigured for better user understanding. The new configuration aligns with users' thoughts about signing tasks, reducing tool choice errors.

The Request e-signature button has been moved to the top of the document to make it more prominent, especially when the Fill & Sign tool is placed on the document from Quick Tools.

Invite others to sign using quick tools

Users can now invite others to sign a document using quick tools in the Sign Tools group. The enhancement allows users to easily add request signatures after adding their signatures.

Single-Click Contextual Toolbar

The single-click contextual toolbar enhances the fill and sign experience within the viewer. It also includes the Request Signature button, making it easier for users to request signatures when needed.