You might see that the Dropbox Community team have been busy working on some major updates to the Community itself! So, here is some info on what’s changed, what’s staying the same and what you can expect from the Dropbox Community overall.
Forum Discussion
How do I open PDF files from Dropbox on Android devices?
Hello :-)
There is a problem with PDF files. They do not open when downloading in android devices :-(
The dropbox link is ?dl=1
There isn't any problem when downloading in Desktop PC and Apple ...
Thanks for the reply Giannis F. and sorry to hear this persists.
Do you notice the same behavior on other browsers other than the one you used so far?
Remember the "dl=1" parameter at the end of shared links should tell the browser to download the file(s) instead of attempting to display it so this seems to be an issue caused by the browser you use (as you say, the files and links are working fine).
Let me know what you find.
Walter
Dropbox Staff
Dropbox StaffSorry to hear about this Giannis F. - could you please let me know how are you generating those shared links to begin with?
Could you try replacing the "?dl=1" parameter to "?dl=0" (or to "?raw=1" if you'd like these files to render on other websites) and let me know if the issue persists?
Thanks!
Thanx for the immediate answer.
I generate them through the "Share" button > "Create a link" into Drobox.
When I use ?dl=0 file opens normally
When I use "?raw=1" it downloads normally and opens the PDF file !
>> But please don't tell me to chance the urls to ?raw=1 in my 5.000 files :-( I did that again in previous year when you changed the share method > It took me 2 months, not againg please.
Please help me :-(
and fix the ?dl=1 link
- Walter
Thanks for the reply Giannis F.!
When I click on the "Share" button on my end, the shared links that are generated end in "?dl=0" by default - are you seeing this behavior on shared links you created in the past or new ones?
If this is not too much of a problem for you, could you please share a link that's giving you this problem here with me so I can investigate further?
Thanx again for the interesting Walter :-)
No, the old links were Ok, only the new links have that problem.
I change manually the ?dl=0 to ?dl=1 because I want the files to download in user's device, not just to open.
This is an example link that downloads the file in android smartphons, but the file does not open:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xgncoaff8as540c/OlympiaTraveller.pdf?dl=1
:-)
- Walter
Sorry to hear about this Giannis F. - what app are you using to open those files to begin with?
I can see no problem with the link you provided me with - I was able to download and open the file normally.
Also, I couldn't help but notice that your PDF is in Greek - do you use Greek characters for your PDF files' names maybe?
Moreover, as per the difference between the "dl=0" and "dl=1" parameters, take a look at this thread where Rich has provided some additional information about it.
Note that, as you say you're able to open those links normally and download as well, the issue you're experiencing might be caused by something outside our scope; the mobile app you'd be opening your PDF files maybe? Your mobile itself perhaps?
In any case, please keep me posted on your progress Giannis. Oh, and happy Monday!
