I need to email a PDF for a client meeting in an hour, but it just spins and never opens on my Android phone. Any idea why that keeps happening?
That is annoying when you’re up against a deadline. I’d first check the file size and download it fully over Wi-Fi, then try opening it from Files rather than straight from the email app. Adobe Acrobat Reader usually handles awkward PDFs on Android; if it still spins, resend yourself a fresh copy or ask someone to open it on a computer and flatten/save it again.
Had the same thing last month with a field report. On Android it spun until I saved the PDF to my phone and opened it from the Files app instead of the email. Might be the size or the app struggling. That’s what I’d try with an hour left.
I’ve had that happen and it’s usually an incomplete download, so the file just spins. Try opening it from your Files app instead of your email, or download it again and give it a few seconds. If you’re in a pinch, uploading it to Google Drive and opening it there works for me.
That spinning usually means the file is too heavy or your phone does not recognise the format. When a change order does that to me on site, I just run it through pdfcap.com on my mobile browser. You can open it there and save a fresh, lighter copy for your client. Did you manage to get it sorted for your meeting?
first try downloading the email attachment again instead of opening it from the mail app, then open the downloaded copy. also check that you have enough free storage and try restarting the phone. if the file still spins, ask the sender to resend it as a fresh PDF, since the attachment may be damaged.
Could be a corrupted file or just too big for your mail app to preview. Make a backup copy first, then try opening it in a different PDF app like Adobe Acrobat Reader or Google Files app.
@nicholasb23 The Google Drive trick has saved me too, more than once before a grant deadline. One thing I learned the hard way: check your free storage, since a nearly full phone will spin forever on a big PDF. If it’s a scan, asking the sender for a lower resolution copy usually opens fine.