Dropbox on Android suddenly unable to open Text / .MD file

[rotello]

I ve a shared folder on my android 11 (kernel 4.4.177) in there ive a text file FILE.txt , which i renamed File.MD (markdown) so i can share with my usual note editor on MAC. it has been working perfectly for months. The first time i opened it, i was asked the default app, i set Dropbox and everything was fine.

then suddently a week or so ago, when i click on the file it just open "my garmin connect"  which is not a text editor. I checked and the setting was "open with dropbox" - i deleted the preferred APP, hoping I would have been asked again ... to no avail.

if i go to default app there are none now

dropbox version on Android is 320.2.10

Can you help me?

Thanks

Manolo

[Megan]

Hi there @rotello & @TheViking, I just sent you both an email, in order for us to have a closer look into this. 

Reply back to me, and we'll take it from there! 

[pmurkowsky]

Same problem here. Dropbox on Android doesn't open .md files anymore but .txt files still work.
When clicking on a .md file, Dropbox opens a dialog suggesting several apps to open the file with, but the Dropbox Text Editor is not included in this list.
Some days ago - probably before the latest update - this was still working.
Things I tried so far without success:
- Reboot
- Clear cache
- Removed standard apps configuration in Dropbox settings.
Is this just a bug in the latest version?

[Megan]

Hi @pmurkowsky  , can I send you an email too, in order for us to have a closer look into this? 

[pseo]

I have this exact same problem. I can no longer edit .MD files from Android using Dropbox's built-in text editor. I also have Garmin apps suggested instead, among other things, with no option to select Dropbox. TXT files still work fine.

Had anyone been able to solve this? It was working fine a few days ago.

[pmurkowsky]

@Megan: Sure, go ahead :-).

[Graham]

Hi @rotello, @pseo, @TheViking and @pmurkowsky  

First of all, I 'd like to thank you all for bringing this issue to our attention. I understand that this has been very frustrating for you all and would like to apologize for any inconvenience this has caused!

I'm following up with you all today to let you know that this issue has been brought to the attention of Dropbox engineers and they are currently working on a solution. As soon as we have any updates on this, we will let you know.

In the meantime, as a workaround, you should still be able to open your files using a desktop or laptop device.

Thanks again and please let us know if there is anything else we can assist you with. 

Have a great day,

Graham

[pmurkowsky]

Hi @Graham, could you provide a link to an APK of the previous version? I believe this bug was introduced in the latest version.

[TheViking]

Hi @Graham, Yes, it's still possible to open .md files on a PC. But being able to edit them on the go on my phone without having to install a separate app is a feature I've been relying on heavily. So please keep us posted on the progress with this issue.

[andrew222651]

Hi, same issue with the stable version

[Rachel L.]

A large part of my usage of Dropbox for Android involves editing my files, both text and HTML. After this latest (320.2.10), already problematic update (my recents and starred items don't display in modified order anymore and there's no option to sort, I reported it but I guess I just have to live with it), I only just now noticed I can no longer edit my HTML files through Dropbox. It used to offer the built-in text editor in the "open with" options--now all it offers are HTML viewers and browsers. I can still edit text files as of last night, but not my HTML files, which I created myself BTW (using a different HTML editor, since Dropbox has never offered the option to create HTML files on Android, but after moving them to Dropbox I USED to be able to edit there).

Is this just yet another recent change further limiting Dropbox's usefulness? I'm a longtime paid user, I'm so disappointed in these changes that just keep limiting functionality. I use Dropbox for editing my files literally every day, including HTML. If I want to do it now, I need to export them, delete them from Dropbox (because it doesn't allow me to overwrite with this method, just says the file already exists), open them in the other, clunky HTML editor, edit them there, save, then re-import them into Dropbox, and delete them from the device...so tedious.

Why remove such a useful option? ☹️ And no, I have no choice to include Dropbox Text Editor as a program to open certain files, I know because I've checked and I can't find any method to add any new apps to that "open with" list. (I once wanted to add that third-party app as an option and couldn't).

I believe this will fall on deaf ears but please, please consider at least restoring this option in a future update? Please. This removes SO much of the app's use. 😔