Why your .md file shows # and ** symbols (and how to fix it)

Updated: 2026-10-29

You open a .md file and see something like this:

## Meeting notes
**Decision:** ship on *Friday*
| Owner | Task |
|---|---|
| Sam | Release |

Nothing is broken. The file is fine. It's being opened by an app that shows plain text, so you see the markdown symbols instead of the formatting they describe.

What the symbols mean

You see	It means
`# Title`, `## Section`	Headings
`text`	Bold
`text` or `_text_`	Italic
`- item`	Bulleted list
`- [ ] task`	Checkbox
`[text](https://…)`	Link
`\\| a \\| b \\|` rows	Table
Lines between ```	Code block
$x^2$	Math formula

The fix: open it in a markdown viewer

A markdown viewer reads the symbols and draws the formatting: real headings, bold text, tables and tappable checkboxes.

Install MD Reader from Google Play.
Open the file again and choose MD Reader. If your phone always uses the text app, see below.

Get it on Google Play

The file keeps opening in the wrong app

Android remembers the app you chose with Always. To change it:

Go to Settings → Apps and find the app that opens .md files now (a text editor or browser).
Tap Open by default (or Set as default) → Clear defaults.
Tap the .md file again. Android asks which app to use. Choose MD Reader.

Menu names differ a little between phone brands. You can always skip this and open the file from inside MD Reader with Open file.

The text is from an AI app, not a file

If you copied an answer from ChatGPT or Claude and pasted it somewhere that shows symbols, paste it into MD Reader with Paste from clipboard instead. See reading ChatGPT answers formatted.

I want to edit it without the symbols

You don't need to learn markdown to change a document. In MD Reader, tap Edit and type on the formatted page. The symbols are written for you. See editing markdown without syntax.