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Can't open any files from my Android phone
I got a new Android phone about three weeks ago. When I accessed my Dropbox files, I was able to open some and not others. Now I am unable to open any files on the phone. Instead, I receive this mess...
It seems like the device itself isn't allowing the Dropbox app to access the internet to download files.
There is a possibility that a proxy, VPN, firewall, security software, or even ISP/router issues could be restricting traffic to the following Dropbox domains.
I'd recommend checking all of these possibilities, and try connecting to a different WiFi network, or use cellular data, to see if there is any difference.
I have tried that, but the download progress never advances from 0.0%, and when the downward-pointing arrow finally appears next to the document name, I am still unable to preview the file.
Jay
Dropbox Community Moderator
Dropbox Community ModeratorIt seems like the device itself isn't allowing the Dropbox app to access the internet to download files.
There is a possibility that a proxy, VPN, firewall, security software, or even ISP/router issues could be restricting traffic to the following Dropbox domains.
I'd recommend checking all of these possibilities, and try connecting to a different WiFi network, or use cellular data, to see if there is any difference.
- Thank you! Switching from Wi-Fi to my mobile network did the trick immediately! I will have to investigate the issue with my Wi-Fi to see what is going on.
- I switched to mobile data and i still can't preview a 760mb excel file from an android phone. The same file can be previewed from dropbox in iOS (and computer) so it is not corrupted. I can open other excel files on my android. Any help would be appreciated.
- Megan
Hi vinceortega, happy Monday!
Do you get any specific errors when you try to preview that file? Are you using the mobile app, or accessing Dropbox directly using the browser on your phone?
Let me know more!
- Hi Megan, it is just a blank screen using the Android mobile app. I haven’t tried the web browser yet. I have deleted and re-installed the app already and got the same behavior.
- Hannah
Sorry to jump in here, vinceortega!
Does the whole screen go blank when you open the file, or does the file itself appear to be empty, as if it has no contents?
Have you tried clearing the cache from the app's settings, to see if that makes any difference?
- Hannah, the page is pitch black. It doesn’t appear empty which may look like cells with empty fields. And, yes, I have tried clearing the cache. As mentioned previously, I even deleted the app from my Android phone. Thanks for looking into this.
- Megan
Hi vinceortega, could you send me a screenshot, please? It'd help me to have a visual of this too.
Thanks!
Hi Megan, see attached and let me know if you need anything else.
- Walter
Hey vinceortega, sorry to jump in here, but have you cleared the app's cache at all since you first noticed this?
Hi Walter, yes, the app's cache has been cleared prior to the screenshot I provided.
- Walter
Have you tried exporting it to another app to preview it from there vinceortega?
Also, can you maybe offline this file and try again?
Walter - Export to Excel app works. I can open the downloaded file successfully.
From Dropbox app preview, it does not work on both offline setting of on and off.
- Hannah
Hey Vince, it seems that this behavior is kind of expected, with files that are as large as the one in question.
I'm glad, however, that exporting it, allows you to view it as normal.
For larger files like this, another workaround would also be our desktop application.
Let us know if you have any other questions.
- Hi Hannah, my mistake. File size is 760kb and not mb. Anyway, yes export works and the only workaround for this.
I sent saved photos to DB from S10 android phone. Could view the photos on the day, now comes with error message. Can open on my laptop but cant open files sent from IPhone. Have to open with Paint App.
Please help. This randomly started a couple months ago, some jpegs not being recognised. Takes too long to open files this way.
- Jay
Hi Julesa01, are these photos taken from a recent iOS device? Is it possible that they're heic files and not jpg images?
taken on android. all were visible on the day i filed them. now only some can be opened without having to use paint.
- Jay
Just to check, are these files available offline on your machine? Do they have green sync icons next to the files?
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