"Open with" option missing

Hey @Luc_W,

Are you still missing the Open with, etc.? This sounds like something that can happen when using a beta version of our app. Can you check the setting in our app and let me know what version you’re on?

Let me know, and we’ll go from there.

Thanks!

Hi Sanchez,

Thank you for your reply. Yes, the Open with is still missing.

I did install the beta version of the app, but this was after this problem started, and it was in a desperate attempt to fix it. Alas, nothing changed, and I reverted to the regular version of the app.

My current version is 78.2.2.

Indeed, the problem started right after the last app update. I believe I either opened or closed the app as it was being updated. Could this have corrupted the app?

At any rate, it seems to me that an easy solution would be to uninstall the app completely, and do a clean install. I did that using the Google Play Store, but obviously, some profile/settings files are not removed: when I open the fresh installation, it shows me the old window, with the "Starred" files and the "Recent" files opened on this machine.

Any suggestions on how to do a "nuclear" re-install of dropbox, which would remove all dropbox files?

Thanks!

Hi @Sanchez,

I'm not sure this is the proper way to reply to you, but here it is.
I just wrote my reply to your question.
Please see below.

Hey @Luc_W,

I’ve just updated my Android device to version 78.2 of our app, and indeed the open with option is missing, so there’s no need for you to troubleshoot any further on your Pixelbook. My colleagues have informed me that you’ve also submitted a support ticket, but I’ll see what I can find out about this too.

And yeah, this is a good way to get a hold of me

Cheers!

Hi @Sanchez,

Thanks for the feedback. I hope this problem will be solved sooner than later. In the meantime, is it possible to downgrade my app to the stable version of dropbox? If so, how?

And in the future, is it possible to set it up, so that I only get updates to stable versions?

Thanks!

Rich

On the iOS version of the app, you now have to select Export, and then you have the option of opening the file in another application.

rodrigo_dbx

Hi @Luc_W,

While we figure out why the option went away, you should be still be able to Open With from the document Preview.

1) Tap/click on the PDF that you want to open with. (You should see a preview of the first page).

2) On the bottom you should see the Open With button that looks like this below:

Hope that helps in the meantime!

Rodrigo

Thanks for this temporary fix, rodrigo_dbx!

I have the same problem running Dropbox on my android (Samsung) tablet. "Open with" is gone. Even though I set default applications for the device, Dropbox does not honor them. I also uninstalled and reinstalled Dropbox from the Play Store tonight. That had no effect. I also tried to reset defaults using my tablet settings, again with no effect. My dialog box looks exactly like that in the link shown in the initial message here.

Hey @Luc_W,

Yes, you can opt out of betas! Go to our app’s settings on your Android, look for Early Releases, and tap on it. You should be taken to a page allowing you to opt out. Once you do that, you’ll only be updated with stable versions

Have a great weekend!

Hey @jay h.5, welcome to our forum!

Yeah, as noted, our team is looking into this. In the meantime, you can use the methods described above to open your files with the apps of your choice.

Cheers

greig2000uk

The methods mentioned to open do not work for the apps I want to use.

Excel docs are only offered microsoft excel app, I use Office Suite Pro.

PDF is only offered Adobe app, I use another app

there is no way to select personal prefered apps, will this be fixed soon?

thanks

Hi @Sanchez,

I have opted out of the betas.

This is what I see now when I look at the dropbox app in the Google Play Store

http://bit.ly/2Fz1Wte

I have uninstalled and re-installed the app, but it's still in version 78.2.2.

So, unfortunately, this has NOT reverted me to the stable version.

And I am still missing the "Open with" menu in the dialog box:

http://bit.ly/2FBnt4L

I am currently getting around this issue by following the instructions provided by rodrigo_dbx. I'm getting work done, but it's impractical for the long term.

I hope this problem will be fixed soon.

Thanks.

Vernon

Hi @Luc_W and @greig2000uk,

Our engineers are working on it so as to get to a solution as soon as possible.

We'll keep you guys posted!

Thanks a lot for your patience and cooperation on this. Cheers!

rodrigo_dbx

Hi Jay 5,

Sorry to hear that. Did you Open From from within the Document Preview as shown above? That should work.

Thanks,

Rodrigo

Yes, that works. But what was one click is now a two step process. Dropbox no longer respects the default because there isn't any way to set it (no "Open With" from the dialog box).

soloct46

Did your engineers find a solution?

gribley

I'm using Dropbox on Android (80.2.2) and am trying to access folders available offline. If I click on a PDF, it opens in the internal viewer. A month ago there was an "Open with..." option (in the three-dot dropdown in the file listing). That option isn't there now, and I apparently can *only* open the pdf in the internal Dropbox viewer, even though the default application is set to use an external viewer (Xodo).

Has DB entirely eliminated the ability to "Open with" another application?

Rich

Do you have an Export option? On iOS, Open in... is available after selecting Export.

gribley

Thanks for the idea. Yes, I have "Export", but that saves the file elsewhere on the device for editing. I want to edit the Dropbox offline/cached file directly, so when I'm done my edits on Android are synced back up to Dropbox.

More details if anyone's interested: My workflow last semester for grading student papers worked great: "Open with" my pdf annotator, make notes and comments, and then save the file, which would sync it back to Dropbox. I could grade dozens of papers on my Android tablet that way, and they would then sync back to my desktop. Exporting would require me then to copy them back over into Dropbox -- an unnecessary step.

Alas, I still can't find the vanished "Open with" option :-(

Jay

Hey there,

It’s possible that you chose to permanently open using the built-in Dropbox PDF viewer.

When you select an app to open the file, you'll have the option to use this app "Always" or "Just once." Choosing "Always" sets this app as the default app for opening this type of file from Dropbox.

To change or clear your default apps, you can do so from the Dropbox settings:

- Open the Dropbox app
- Tap on the menu button
- Tap the gear icon (or "Settings" on older versions of the app)
- Scroll down and tap "Manage default apps"
- Find the app you'd like to remove and tap "Remove"
- Confirm the removal by tapping "Clear"

Let me know if after that you get the ‘Open with…’ option!

I have the same problem. The suggested "solution" doesn't work. The "open with" option doesn't appear.

If I go to Manage default apps in Settings and remove, say, Word to open .docx files, the next time I go to dropbox to open a .docx file, the dialog box does not include the Open With opton. Instead, I have to open the document in the dropbox viewer. I can use the icon in the lower right corner of the screen to give me the option to select Word, which then launches the "just once/always" dialog. If I select Always, the selection has no effect the next time I want to open a .docx file. I still have to use the lower right corner icon to open in Word. And if I go into Settings>Manage Default applications, Word will be shown as the default. However, dropbox doesn't honor that default.

This is a new problem. Open With used to work and set the default application. There was no need to go through the viewer first to get to what you want to be the default.

This topic should not be shown as "solved." The problem is unremedied. The clunky word-around is just that: clunky.

And it's not the way that Open With worked, and allowed the default application to be set and honored, for years.

Jay

Hmm, in this instance, we’ll need to do some further troubleshooting with our support team.

For any users having the same issue, please could you write in to us with more details, such as what type of phone you’re using, and any additional information you feel would help!

[This thread is now closed. If you have a similar or new question, you can ask here.]

greig2000uk

I have the same issue. Its a pain to use the workaround and it doesnt work properly, im using an HTC 10.

I use a couple of excel worksheets, i have to open them with the standard dropbox method then use the bottom right open with icon (basically opening my document twice) I then have to go back and close the default method that dropbox used to open my document otherwise I cant edit my document with my default app. Also recent documents I open do not stay in the "recents" list now, I have to star them....

lets just keep the replies here where everyone can see them and be updated rather than filling in seperate help requests for the same problem.

Grandschmu

Same problem here on my Galaxy Tab A. The option "Open with" disapear few days ago. I tried everything but nothing works, there's no possibility to open file with an app other than the previwer.

hany82

same problem here since updating Dropbox on my android tablet to the latest stable verdion, never installed a beta version, "open with" is gone and is totally unusable now, updating the app is expected to make it more usuable not to remove essential functionalities from it. why this thread is marked as solved ?