Re: Android: Kdbx files can only opened with Google Drive-PDF-Viewer which is wrong!

Hi tputkonen, thanks for messaging the Community!

It’s possible that the file cannot be directly opened by the third party app any longer. Could you try instead exporting the file to the app to see if this is possible?

If it doesn't work, I'd recommend contacting the app developers to see if they can assist on this matter in more detail.

Keep me posted!

Thanks for the updates. The Dropbox mobile app can only open files with a valid extension, and one associated with an app that has stated the extension can be opened by them. This is to prevent opening a spreadsheet on a image app for instance.

If the Keepassdroid app isn't showing as an option when opening via Dropbox, then it means that the developer would need to look into this, since the Android device doesn't have the extension registered to that app, and thus neither does the Dropbox app.

After glancing at some search results and recent reviews, it appears users are experiencing the same issue with other cloud providers as well.

I hope they're able to investigate this matter for you in more detail.

It seems that this functionality has been broken by Dropbox update and this is completely unacceptable. I don't understand why the application has to prevent opening a file using "wrong" application. Now it's doing completely same thing (opening password file with PDF viewer)!

Now it seems to work again (version 192.2.2).

Still not working for me on 192.2.2. Perhaps they are testing some experiimental fix by changing server-side configuration (without changing the dropbox binary).

Exporting the file (from Dropbox) to open with Keepassdroid is not a satisfactory suggestion. The point is that if a new entry is made into the database, this then needs to replace the version stored on Dropbox. 
This worked well, perfectly even, until you geniuses decided to fix it. And no, the file extension is known to the Android system, hence it opens it correctly when it is exported.  
I'm driven off your platform, probably.

Holy Cow!

It Works!

It Works, It works, it works.

I had stopped testing replacement software, due to frustration. So this is supreme.

thank you!

Will MacGhee

I've also got this problem, and yeah, exact same experience with the 'Make available offline' suggested workaround. For me the problem is compounded by the fact I'm still running Android 5, and Dropbox recently dropped support for Android < 6. This means I am locked into the broken 190.2.2 version, thus being excluded from any possible future bug fixes for this problem. It definitely used to work fine when launching from Dropbox, so it's 100% the app that's faulty.

For me the simple workaround is not to open Dropbox in order to open my .kdbx file. Instead, open Keepassdroid and (with my settings) it'll remember the .kdbx's filepath to open. It always seems to open an up-to-date copy of the .kdbx file, despite not opening it from the Dropbox app.

Hi,

I'm having trouble opening .kdbx (KeePass) files from Dropbox on an Android phone.  I was originally using the KeePassDroid app, and switched to KeePassDX to try to resolve the issue, but have since found the problem occurs with that one too.

The way it manifests is that I open Dropbox on my phone and tap my .kbdx file and expect it to open in the KeePass app.  The file downloads, the screen goes blank momentarily, and then I am returned to the file list.

I can work around it by using the "..." icon to open the menu on the .kdbx file, toggle the "Make available offline" off, then do it again and toggle it back on.  Then when I tap the .kdbx file, a dialog pops up to ask which app to use to open it.  I select KeePassDroid or KeePassDX and tap "always", and the file opens in the app as expected.  If I close it and try again, it works a second time.  However, if I try again another day, it fails to open and I have to apply the workaround again.

I did on one occasion see a "toast" message when trying to open the file - something about it not being a valid PDF file I think...?

Hey there DrRob, thanks for reaching out to us here!

Just to note, I've moved your post here as it seems that you're having a similar issue the OP described. There may be some helpful info here if you have the time to look through this thread.

Some have mentioned here that they no longer have this issue with the latest version of the mobile app. Can you check if you have any pending updates for the app at all?

If not, please let me know which version of the mobile app you're using.

Keep me posted!

My version of the Dropbox app is the current one for my device. The version number is 196.2.6

I have had success to get the .kdbx file to be opened by KeePassDroid by toggling the make available local switch. -which is a big relief.

yours,

Will MacGhee

Thanks for joining us here wmacghee!

Also, I appreciate you taking the time to share what worked for you with us here. I'm sure that this will be useful to others looking into this too. :grin:

Cheers!

Hi Daphne,

Apologies - the email notification about your reply went into my Spam folder and I've only just found it.

I have my phone set to update apps automatically and it's running app version 198.2.2 and I still have the problem.  The Play Store app says that Dropbox updated 4h ago.  Just to be sure, I closed the Dropbox app and then started it up again, but the problem persists.

I have a Samsung A5 (2017) phone (model SM-A520F) which is running Android version 8.0.0 (last update 30th April 2020).

Rob.

Thanks for getting back to me here DrRob!

There's not much else I can suggest here I'm afraid, but if you haven't already, I can suggest having a look at Jay's previous post here.

Cheers!

Hello,

I'm having the same issue. Has been going on for a long time now. I've used Dropbox and KeeppassDroid for years, but this issue has been there for the past year or so. Can't you Dropbox people repro and fix this? All you need is an Android device, Dropbox and KeepassDroid. It's tempting to see a conspiracy against Keepass use here.

Making the file available offline only temporarily improves the issue.

What is it that makes Dropbox or the Android system think that these files with names ending in .kdbx are PDF's to be opened with Google Drive's PDF viewer? Does Dropbox use pieces of Google Drive? Does it save files in a location associated with Drive?

Please give this some attention. Synchronizing my passwords between Windows 10 and my phone is the reason I use Dropbox.

Just noticed this too. It appears that either Dropbox is not populating the usual cache location on Android or that Android has updated to not associate kdb files with Keepass. I did notice Dropbox doing an update just before this issue occurred. I tried reseting make available offline in Dropbox but that didn't work. Exporting the kdb file to the Android file system and then opening the file gave me the option to use Keepass. So the problem is Dropbox related not Keepass related. So the previous guidance to contact the app developer is bogus. I noticed just yesterday that Dropbox has added a document sign and pin protection for individual files option so looks like some big Dropbox changes.

Having the same issue with version 200.2  Keepass files open as PDF.

The workaround by toggeling offline works. There is an option to select how to open the file.

@Jay, 

You explanation here seems incorrect:

"If the Keepassdroid app isn't showing as an option when opening via Dropbox, then it means that the developer would need to look into this, since the Android device doesn't have the extension registered to that app"

 https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-files-folders/Android-Kdbx-files-can-only-opened-with-Google-Drive-PDF-Viewer/m-p/427607/highlight/true#M163540

If this were true then the workaround using offline mode should not have worked. There shouldn't have been an option to choose to open KDB/KDBX files with Keepass regardless if we are in offline mode or online mode.

Please talk to DropBox developers to fix this.