RocketChat / RocketChat/Rocket.Chat.ReactNative
bug: Attachments not downloadable on Android — file URL becomes "content://net.demola.chat.android.provider/files/<filename>"
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- Dominant language
- TypeScript
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Description
Describe the Bug
On Android, tapping any file attachment in a room/thread fails to open or download. I tested image, audio, DOCX, and PDF files with the same result.
When I tried a .txt file and chose “Open in browser,” I saw the attachment resolves to a content URI:
content://net.demola.chat.android.provider/files/<filename>
This is an Android content URI (not an http/https web URL). The app/intent flow appears to pass a content:// URI that external apps can’t open—likely due to missing temporary read permission or a FileProvider configuration/authority issue—so the attachment never opens.
Steps to Reproduce
- Open the app on Android and enter any chat.
- Tap an existing file attachment (e.g., PDF, image, doc), or upload a new one and then tap it.
- Choose the app to open the file
Expected Behavior
- Tapping an attachment should open it in a suitable viewer or download it successfully on Android.
Actual Behavior
- The file open/download fails.
- The file URL displayed/resolved is:
content://net.demola.chat.android.provider/files/<filename> - Android cannot open it (launched fails to open / images stay loading forever)
Rocket.Chat Server Version
7.9.3
Rocket.Chat App Version
4.65.0.107519
Device Name
Samsung Galaxy M35
OS Version
Android 15
Additional Context
No response
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
No file or test is named. Start by tracing the Android attachment open/intent flow and the FileProvider configuration that produces content://net.demola.chat.android.provider URIs. Done means image, audio, DOCX, PDF, and text attachments can be opened or downloaded successfully on Android.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- android, react-native, typescript
- Domain
- mobile
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 45/100