How to Enable Scrolling by Default in Adobe Reader XI

To enable scrolling by default in Adobe Reader, open Preferences, select Page Display, set Page Layout to Single Page Continuous, and click OK. PDFs then open as one continuous scrolling column instead of jumping a full page at a time. On Windows, Preferences is in the hamburger Menu; on a Mac, choose Acrobat Reader > Preferences.

This article originally covered Adobe Reader XI. Adobe ended support for Reader XI on October 15, 2017, which means no security updates, so if you still use it, switching to the free, current Adobe Acrobat Reader is the safer choice. The steps below follow Adobe’s current help articles on viewing preferences and adjusting PDF views; the Page Display preference works the same way it did in Reader XI.

How to enable scrolling by default in Adobe Acrobat Reader

1. Open Adobe Acrobat Reader.
2. Open Preferences: on Windows, select the hamburger Menu, then Preferences; on a Mac, choose Acrobat Reader > Preferences.
3. Select Page Display in the Categories list.
4. Under Default Layout and Zoom, set Page Layout to Single Page Continuous.
5. Click OK.

Result: PDFs open with continuous scrolling. Adobe lists the other layout choices as Automatic, Single Page, Two-Up and Two-Up Continuous, so you can pick Two-Up Continuous if you prefer facing pages that scroll.

How to turn on scrolling for just one PDF

1. Open the PDF.
2. On Windows, select the hamburger Menu > View > Page display. On a Mac, choose View > Page display.
3. Select Enable scrolling.

Result: that document scrolls continuously. Adobe describes the four options this way: Single page view shows one page at a time, Enable scrolling shows pages in a continuous vertical column, Two page view shows each two-page spread, and Two page scrolling shows facing pages side by side in a continuous column.

Why a PDF still doesn’t scroll

Adobe explains two things that can override your default:

• The PDF has its own setting. The Page Layout set in File > Properties > Initial View overrides your preference. Use View > Page display > Enable scrolling for that file, or force your layout with the Accessibility setting below.
• Reader remembers your last view. If Restore last view settings when reopening documents is turned on in the Documents preferences, a file reopens the way you last viewed it rather than with your default.

Result: once you know which one applies, you can fix the file or change the Documents preference so your default takes effect.

Force scrolling even when a PDF has its own layout

If some PDFs keep opening as single pages, use the Accessibility preference. Adobe’s accessibility features article says Always Use Page Layout Style overrides the document’s own page layout setting.

1. Open Preferences (on Windows you can also press Ctrl + K).
2. Select Accessibility.
3. Check Always Use Page Layout Style and choose Single Page Continuous from its menu.
4. Click OK.

Result: every PDF opens with continuous scrolling, regardless of how its author set it up. This is the same setting the original Reader XI version of this article used. The neighboring Always Use Zoom Setting does the same for zoom level.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same as the Enable Scrolling option in the View menu?

They produce the same layout. The View menu changes the current document; the Page Display preference changes the default for documents you open later.

Should I keep using Adobe Reader XI?

Adobe no longer provides security updates for Reader XI. Installing the current Acrobat Reader keeps you protected and gives you the same scrolling settings. If security is your reason for upgrading, you can also disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader.

Can I make PDFs bigger on screen too?

Yes. The same Page Display preferences include a default Zoom setting. If everything on your screen looks too small or large, see how to reset display settings in Windows 11.

If PDFs also open too zoomed in, see how to change the default zoom level in Adobe Acrobat. Reader cannot extract pages, but the full Acrobat app can: see how to save individual pages from a PDF in Acrobat.