Need to see if your shared folder is taking up space on your dropbox 👨💻? Find out how to check here.
Forum Discussion
Solved
Dropbox on Android suddenly unable to open protected Word document
Hello. I've had the same password protected Word doc in my dropbox for years now.
On the same Android device I've been using for years as well, I am suddenly unable to open that file. When I try, I get a "File type not supported" error.
- There is no "open with" option. There used to be one.
- I have tried reinstalling, wiping cache and data, etc - Dropbox app as well as Office and Word apps.
- I have tried unlinking and linking Office and Word to Dropbox. On my device as well as on the web.
- I have tried saving the file to device.
There is nothing wrong with the file.
- I can open it just fine from Dropbox PC.
- I can also open it on my phone from the Word app.
When I try to open a non-protected Word doc, I get a preview. And only then does an "open with" option appear.
Solutions desired:
- Setting Dropbox Android to open Word docs in the Word app by default rather than trying to give me a preview.
- Also, reinstatement of the "open with" option outside of doc preview. (This has completely disappeared for all my Dropbox files, not just this one.)
After struggling to figure out what I would do since Dropbox was now saying that one of my very essential files could no longer be opened on my Android phone because this Word document was encrypted in Microsoft Word, I accidentally discovered that the problem can easily be solved if you simply ignore the message "File type not supported" and click on the vertical three-dot-menu at the top right of the screen and then select "Open with..." Then choose Word to open the document and all is exactly as it used to be. The message "File type not supported" should definitely be changed to avoid this confusions.
30 Replies
Replies have been turned off for this discussion
Unfortunately the 3 vertical dot menu only seems to come up with 2 options - "Share" & "Manage Access" - no "Open With" on the 306.2.2 version of Dropbox I'm using which I believe is the latest for Android 13.
Where are you accessing that menu?
And did you try scrolling down?
You're quite right - I should've scrolled down! The "Open With" option is at the bottom as you rightly said - thanks. After that, things are basically as before but the "File type not supported" message really does need to go.
Thanks again.
No problem - not scrolling down was exactly my mistake as well.
And yes one reason why we're all struggling with this is bad UI.
I noticed recently that word password protected files can no longer open via drobox on my android. The files open on my desktop but not on my android.
Please help!
- Walter
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hey llayen0314, sorry to hear you're having issues with this.
Could you check if what's described here helps in your case as well?
Thanks, I tried but still get error "Can't open this document" password protected file ae not supported.
- Megan
Hi llayen0314, could you send me a screenshot of the error you mentioned?
The picture to your right is the first error message. The picture on your left error message after I click on the 3 dots right hand corner to open with ...
- Hannah
Sorry to jump in here, llayen0314.
It seems that password protected files cannot actually be previewed through our mobile app.
For more info and workarounds, see this article.
