MD ReaderHow to open a .md file on Android
A .md file is a markdown document: plain text with a few symbols (#, **, -) that describe headings, bold text and lists. Android doesn't ship with an app that understands those symbols. So when you tap a .md file, you usually get one of three results:
- "No app can open this file"
- A text editor that shows the raw
#and**symbols - A browser that downloads the file again instead of showing it
To read it as a formatted document, you need a markdown viewer.
Step 1: Install a markdown viewer
Install a markdown viewer from Google Play. In this guide we use MD Reader, which is free, works offline and doesn't request internet access.
Step 2: Open the file
You can open the file from wherever it is.
From the Files app or Downloads
- Open Files (or My Files on Samsung) and find the
.mdfile. - Tap it. If Android asks which app to use, choose MD Reader.
- Tap Always if you want
.mdfiles to open in it every time.
From inside the app
- Open MD Reader.
- Tap Open file.
- Pick the file in the Android file picker. You can browse Downloads, internal storage and cloud apps like Google Drive from there.
From another app
If an app can share a file or text, tap Share and choose MD Reader. This works for many cloud storage, chat and note apps.
Step 3: Read, search and edit
Once the file is open you'll see headings, tables, code blocks, links and checklists rendered properly. You can:
- Open the table of contents to jump between sections
- Use Find in document to search the text
- Tap Edit to fix a typo directly on the formatted page, without touching markdown symbols
If the file still won't open
- The file name doesn't end in
.md. Some apps save markdown as.txtor.markdown. Open it from inside MD Reader with Open file. - It's an email attachment. Download it first, then open it. See opening a .md email attachment.
- "No app can open this file" keeps appearing. See how to fix "No app can open this file".
New to markdown? Read what a .md file is first. It takes two minutes.