How to Access the PDF Reader in Helperbird

Learn how to use Helperbird PDF support. Read and annotate PDFs with accessibility tools Support for all learners and educators. This guide explains how to use the PDF reading features in Helperbird. When a PDF is detected in your browser, a popup will ask if you want to open it in Helperbird's PDF reader.

Helperbird's PDF Reader makes working with PDF documents easier with built-in tools for reading, annotating, note-taking, and more. Open any PDF and access powerful features like voice typing, translation, text extraction, and summarization.


Step 1: Open PDF in Helperbird

When viewing a PDF in your browser, look for the green "Open PDF in Helperbird – Click to Open" button at the bottom of the page. Click this button to open the PDF in Helperbird's reader.

The PDF will load in Helperbird's reader interface with all tools available.


Step 2: Navigate and Take Notes

Once your PDF is open, you'll see page numbers at the top for easy navigation. To open the note-taking panel, click the Notepad button in the top toolbar.

This will open a split view with your PDF on the left and the Notepad on the right.

Note-Taking Features:

Voice Typing: Click the microphone icon to start dictating your notes instead of typing. Great for quickly capturing thoughts while reading.

Grammar/Spell Check: Click the "A" with checkmark icon to check your notes for spelling and grammar errors.

Print: Click the print icon to quickly print your notes.

Download Options: Click the download icon in the toolbar to see your options. You can download your notes separately, download the original PDF, or download the PDF with your annotations included.


Step 3: Annotate Your PDF

Click the Add Textbox button in the top toolbar to start adding text boxes and annotations directly onto your PDF pages.

Click the Add Textbox button again to add more text boxes where you can type your annotations.


Step 4: PDF Text to Speech

Use the playback controls to manage your annotation workflow:

  • Play: Continue adding annotations
  • Pause: Temporarily stop annotation mode
  • Stop: Exit annotation mode

Step 5: Use Quick PDF Tools

Click the floating pink menu button on the right side of the screen to access quick tools for working with your PDF:

Extract Text: Pull text from the PDF to use in other documents or applications.

Summarize: Get a quick summary of the PDF content to understand key points faster.

View in Immersive Reader: Open the PDF in an immersive reading mode with enhanced readability features.

Translate: Translate the PDF content into different languages.

Tip: The PDF Reader combines all of Helperbird's powerful tools in one place, making it perfect for studying, research, and document review. Use voice typing for quick note-taking, the Add Textbox button to mark up important sections, and the Drawing Tools to draw shapes, arrows, and freehand marks directly on the PDF.


Video Tutorial


Need Additional Help?

Ran into a snag while using the PDF Reader? No worries at all! Just reach out to our friendly Helperbird support team, and we'll help you smooth things out in no time.

What People Are Saying

Join over 1,000,000 people who use Helperbird every day.

Brilliant extension! Have tired it for my daughter and she has come on leaps in school. While there are plenty of free features, the paid ones are only 30 USD a year. Can't recommend this enough.

Gary O'Connor

Gary O'Connor

Helperbird user

Fantastic! Helperbird is very easy to use, and yet, so powerful!

Anonymous Users

Anonymous Users

Helperbird user

I love Helperbird!!! It's very user friendly from someone who has learning challenges because of ADHD and Dyslexia.There are so many useful features and new updates.

Entertainment Studio

Entertainment Studio

Helperbird user

This extension has been an absolute lifesaver. I have that fantastic combo of ADHD and Dyslexia while trying to go through college. I have difficulty keeping letters in order, seeing the gaps between words, and with ADHD on top, I lose focus A LOT. The immersive reader has been my new best friend. It drowns out the rest of the content on the page, changes the font to something I can read, and highlights the word as it reads to me. My eyes are forced to keep going in the right direction. I can slow down and pay attention to what I'm reading. I don't even have to go back and read the same paragraph 5 times to understand it! The screen overlay has been outstanding for eye strain and being able to distinguish between words and spaces. The custom font and spacing for research articles have been an enormous advantage! I can actually read the research papers now and not have this daunting 2 column fine print page to squint over.All around, this has been the best purchase I've ever had. I use this every day, with every assignment. I don't even struggle with story-based questions anymore. The immersive reader helps me read, listen, and understand the question all at once. I am still exploring what I can use this with and how it can make my academic career, and I keep getting impressed with every new way I find to use it. Seriously, try it out. You won't regret it at all. Even if you don't have dyslexia or ADHD, just try it out. You might find that it helps you understand the content you're trying to learn even better!

Mason Hunter

Mason Hunter

Helperbird user

Talking to the Helperbird support team during their live stream was a great experience. They gave me a preview of what's coming to Helperbird for Firefox, and I'm really excited about it. I'd give a 5/5 rating for the current features and the sneak peek.

Herchel Pur

Herchel Pur

Firefox user

I got this tool as an extension to try out first of all. I was amazed at what it can do in terms of accessibility. I have shown my friends and brother who suffer from dyslexia and they have all downloaded the extension. Great step forward from a company looking to help people!!

Luke Pottinger

Luke Pottinger

Helperbird user

Helperbird logo: Stylized owl with large yellow eyes and a beige face, against a green background.

Download Helperbird

Make browsing easier and more accessible with tools like Text to Speech, Immersive Reader, and more.