Windows 11 made Edge the default PDF reader and never looked back. For reading and basic markup, it's genuinely good. For editing — actually changing the text — Microsoft still expects you to install something else. You don't have to.
Edge's PDF tools
Windows 11's Edge has the best built-in PDF reader of any OS. Annotation, highlight, draw, sign with a pen on a Surface, fill form fields, read aloud. For lots of jobs, Edge alone is enough.
Where Edge stops: editing existing text. That's what Flint adds.
Adding Flint to the workflow
Open Flint in the same browser tab. Upload the PDF. Click text to edit it. Save the result. Then continue annotating in Edge or sharing from File Explorer.
The browser is the workspace; Edge and Flint are different tools within it.
Windows 11 touch and pen
On a Surface Pro or other Windows 11 tablet, touch and pen input work in Flint's signature pad. Pen pressure comes through for signatures — natural-looking line variation. Touch handles everything else.
FAQ
Is there a PDF editor in Windows 11?
Edge is a PDF viewer with annotation, not a full editor. For real editing, you need a separate tool. Flint covers it free in the same browser; Acrobat is the paid option.
Does Microsoft 365 include a PDF editor?
Word and other 365 apps can open and convert PDFs but not edit them natively in PDF format. For PDF editing within 365's price, no — you need Acrobat (separate Adobe subscription) or a free tool like Flint.
Can I make PDFs the default in another app?
Settings → Apps → Default apps → search for .pdf → choose your preferred app. Most people leave it on Edge for viewing and open Flint when editing is needed.
Edge for reading, Flint for editing. Together they cover Windows 11 PDF work without paying anyone.