Chapter 9 · Guide · 1B Docs
Common problems and solutions
When something fails, 1B Docs says what happened and never touches your original. These are the most common cases and what to do.
Problems and solutions
My documents don't appear in Documents or Browse
Those tabs need “access to all files”. Tap Allow access (or Settings › Access to all files) and turn on the switch next to 1B Docs. Without it you can still open any file with the folder icon at the top or from other apps.
“1B Docs can't open this type of file. You can try it with another app.”
That type of file isn't a document 1B Docs knows (for example a video or a ZIP). Open it with the right app. If it's a document with a wrong extension, 1B Docs usually detects it by its content anyway.
A Word, Excel or PowerPoint file asks for a password
Documents encrypted by Office can't be opened yet. Remove the password in the app that created it, or ask for a copy without one. Password-protected PDFs do open: the app asks for the password.
“This document can’t be opened”
The file is damaged or incomplete, often because a download was cut. Download it again or ask for it again.
It says my changes will be saved as a copy
ODT, RTF, HTML, XLS, ODS, PPT and ODP files open converted, so the app saves your changes in a modern format (DOCX, XLSX or PPTX) instead of overwriting the original. Old .doc files are read-only: use Save a copy as DOCX….
A recent document no longer opens
If it came from another app (an attachment, Drive…), Android only lets 1B Docs open it for a while. Open it again from that app, or save a copy with Save as… to have it on your device. If the file was deleted or moved, the app marks it: Remove from recents clears it from the list.
I lost changes when the app closed
When you open the document again, look for the bar with Recover changes at the top. To avoid surprises, save often: the dot (•) next to the title means there are unsaved changes.
“The new version didn't pass the check, so your original was left untouched. Save a copy instead.”
Before replacing a file, 1B Docs checks the new version. If the check fails, your original stays intact: use Save as… to save the changes in a new file.
“This PDF has no text (it may be a scan)”
The PDF is made of images (a scan or a photo), so there is no text to search, select or extract. You can still read, annotate and sign it.
Written for 1B Docs 1.0 on Android 8 or later, with real screenshots and invented example documents.