Annotations In PDF

Question

I use my onedrive app on Android OS to view a pdf and annotate with it by pressing the "annotate" icon on the bottom ribbon. Image After that I use the provided highlighter at the bottom and underline text with it. Image I refuse believe this issue has become a problem Microsoft can't solve. I also refuse to download a different app to do something as simple as this. I can see the highlights as soon as I do it, then I wait for it to save for the changes to be uploaded, but if I close the app and open it again in another device it's clear that the changes (annotations) did not persist in the document. This is very inconvenient and has to be resolved quickly since it's a critical feature on pdf viewing.

Answer 1

Hi Rohan,  

Welcome to the community. I'm happy to assist you. 

Based on your description, you're experiencing an issue where PDF annotations made in the OneDrive Android app appear to save initially but are lost when reopening the file on another device.  

According to internal documentation and user reports, the issue seems to stem from how the OneDrive Android app handles saving and syncing annotations: 

• Annotations may not persist if the app is closed before the file is fully saved and synced to the cloud.
• Offline mode complications: Even if a folder is marked as available offline, annotations made without an active internet connection may not sync properly once reconnected
• App behavior: Users have reported that annotations are more reliably saved when they exit the PDF using the back arrow (top-left corner) to return to the file list before closing the app.

Microsoft is currently working on fixing this issue and I'd suggest to a few steps you can take to reduce the risk of losing annotations: 

1. Always exit the PDF using the back arrow to return to the file list before closing the app.
2. Ensure a stable internet connection before closing the file to allow syncing.
3. Avoid switching apps mid-annotation, as this may interrupt the save process
4. Enable both Wi-Fi and mobile data under OneDrive settings to improve sync reliability

Meanwhile, it'd be better to report this issue to Microsoft for it to be prioritized, you can do it via: 

From the OneNote App (Android or Windows) 

Open the OneNote app. 

Tap your profile icon or go to Settings. 

Select “Send Feedback to Microsoft" 

Choose “Report a Problem” or “Suggest a Feature”. 

Describe your issue clearly (e.g., “Annotations in PDFs do not sync across devices”). 

Microsoft Feedback Portal 

You can also submit feedback online: 

Visit: https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com 

Click “Send Feedback” and fill out the form. 
Should you have any further questions related to this issue, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

Alexis-NG - Microsoft Community Support Specialist