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PREVIEW doesn't save highlights PDF

I have this problem, macOS Preview doesn't save highlights I made on a PDF properly. Sometimes it saves them and sometimes not. So when I reopen the saved PDF I always lose something that I highlighted. Does it happen to you too? How can I fix it?


PS: I'm sure that I've saved the PDF, I've tried multiple times, but there is always the same issue. The last macOS updates haven't fixed it


MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 11.6

Posted on Oct 8, 2021 3:23 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 8, 2021 5:01 AM

Thank you for your answer! I only use Preview on macOS 11.6. I've tried boh saving manually the PDF and leaving the autosave to Preview, but there's always the same issue. Some of the highlights remain and others are lost. The first ones remain more or less, but the following no. I've also tried to save it as a new PDF, but it's the same. To reopen the PDF I use again Preview on macOS.


I really don't understand what is the problem with it, it's quite frustrating because I use it for studying.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 8, 2021 5:01 AM in response to VikingOSX

Thank you for your answer! I only use Preview on macOS 11.6. I've tried boh saving manually the PDF and leaving the autosave to Preview, but there's always the same issue. Some of the highlights remain and others are lost. The first ones remain more or less, but the following no. I've also tried to save it as a new PDF, but it's the same. To reopen the PDF I use again Preview on macOS.


I really don't understand what is the problem with it, it's quite frustrating because I use it for studying.

Oct 8, 2021 4:49 AM in response to imosimo1

Using Preview on macOS 11.6 on my M1 mini, I can add a highlight to selected text, and watch as that change is autosaved to the PDF on my Desktop. No matter if I do the following: 1) save, 2) export as PDF or 3) print > PDF > Save as PDF, the highlighted text is preserved in the resulting PDF. For each of these three scenarios, I can reopen the PDF in Preview with the highlighted text retained.


Are you opening that Preview annotated PDF in any other software, PDF reader, or PDF editor?

PREVIEW doesn't save highlights PDF

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