Viewing files on web browser and mobile

ℹ️ Support
1

Hi, I recently installed nextcloud on my server and started testing it out. It works great, but one of the things with which I had difficulty with was the file viewing possibility. With dropbox and any other service out there like gmail or outlook or whatever, one can seamlessly open any type of file and preview it without the need to download the file itself.

I’ve noticed that with nextcloud you need to install a plugin for web users to view files, which I have, but somehow it mentions an error every time I try to open a file. Also I believe the plugin doesn’t support the previewing of all types of files (like it should).

ALSO VERY IMPORTANT: one of the reasons why I chose nextcloud is because of its mobile app.
But in the mobile app as well I experience the same thing as mentioned above.
Every time I try to view a file in mobile it starts downloading the whole file first before I can view it, which is very impractical.
It should be able to view something without the need to download it first.

Do you have any suggestions for remedies for these problems?

2

The cloud storage companies installed many plugins to get previews of various file types.
To do this e.g. on a raspberry pi you need to get all working on that limited hardware. Some types need java libs and other stuff.

Dropbox and Nextcloud are different here.

3

I probably should’ve been a bit more specific. I reckon that when I said “all types of files” this comprises of so many things, while I really meant to say is that simple things such as .docx or .pptx or .pdf or .xlsx or any kind of such document files/extensions should be viewable.

With that being said. Everything summarized it comes down to important 2 questions I have:

  1. How can users that use the nextcloud mobile app view files such as .docx or other files I mentioned here above without the need to download them first?

  2. What plugins or solutions do you recommend I do for the part of the web browser users so they can view the files?

4

Does anyone have anything to add?