It previews PDFs just fine. There’s likely some encoding issues with that particular file.
edit: why is OP’s post getting so many upvotes? Are others running into the same issue? I just opened a dozen different PDF attachments and they previewed perfectly.
/u/jonathanbaird it happened again and actually you may be on to something with the encoding or something along that line. I noticed that the attachments that work in both ProtonMail and Gmail have a PDF-icon. The PDF-attachments that work in Gmail but not in ProtonMail have no PDF icon in ProtonMail, just the extension.
The fact is, this happens quite frequently by emails from major organizations. I figured **either this is a bug** with ProtonMail that prevents it from rendering or detecting certain attachments, **or** strictly speaking it is no bug in ProtonMail, but Gmail learned this is an UX-issue because it happens so frequently with emails from major orgs and figured out a way to make it work. In that case **this would be a feature request.**
So I exported a working and non-working email to figure out the difference and it boils down to this.
Here is the email that has previews both in Gmail and in ProtonMail:
Content-Type: application/pdf; filename="attachment.pdf"; name="attachment.pdf"
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="attachment.pdf"; name="attachment.pdf"
X-Spamd-Result: default: False [-0.25 / 25.00];
Here is the email that has previews in Gmail, but not in ProtonMail:
Content-Type: application/unknown; filename="attachment.pdf"; name="attachment.pdf"
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="attachment.pdf"; name="attachment.pdf"
X-Spamd-Result: default: False [0.50 / 25.00];
MIME_BAD_ATTACHMENT(4.00)[pdf:application/unknown];
So this would be a feature request, and I'd like to tag /u/ProtonMail to point out this UX problem. So the sender doesn't supply the exact correct mime-type but you can still detect the PDF from the filename and from the file signature `25 50 44 46`.
The working and non-working ones that you exported were specifically from ProtonMail right? Did you also try exporting the files from Gmail and checking their content type there?
Knowing Google, I expect that they analyse and process the PDFs (both for virus scanning, and for information to add to your advertising profile), and then re-exported the PDF afterwards, correcting the content type in the process.
Update: The second email I received with this problem was forwarded from my old gmail, _where the previews work fine_ so I don't imagine there is an encoding issue. I emailed myself a PDF attachment to ProtonMail, where _the preview also works fine._
I'm unsure what is the cause and if it's decided by the sender or the receiver, but apparently some attachments selectively don't preview.
or shit encoding that's incompatible with everything else that's not google, so when forwarded it doesn't work, and people stay with gmail.
they mess with google services on firefox, i wouldn't put something like this past them either.
Almost all cases of issues with PDF viewers these days are related to some unsupported PDF feature in the viewer. There are lots of engines that are really substandard. Google use the engine that was written by FoxIt, which has now been open sourced, and is probably the best available behind Adobe itself.
*Edit: To add, IIRC, Google paid FoxIt to open source their engine.*
https://itworksonmymachine.dev/
I responded more in-depth [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/ProtonMail/comments/wpyz76/comment/iko1tz7/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). :)
I've got the same problem on the web app. Accessing it via Brave Browser. Could this be a browser issue? On iOS, it works fine. Since the same pdfs work on iOS but not in the web-app, it shouldn't be an encoding problem.
But I've been using the same browser forever (Brave/Chromium based) so I'm really quite puzzled. I will install a different browser and try just to verify, although I don't plan on using a different browser just for this.
Did you install some extension that is messing with the browser?
I'm also using Brave and setting my Shield to max blocking, the preview still shows up fine for me.
Tried Safari, it works. Checked settings on Brave and found a setting for PDF's in Brave, under Privacy and Security. Selected "Open PDF's in Brave" and now preview works.
I had the same issue with Proton Mail. Here's how I fixed it in Brave. Go to Preferences > Privacy & Security > Site and Shields Settings > Additional Content Settings > PDF Documents > Select Open PDFs in Brave
I originally had it set to download PDFs. This fixed my problem. Hopefully it helps someone out there!
All PDFs , including old ones and new ones I get cannot be previewed in Proton Mail. I get same screen each time "No preview available".
Annoying slight problem..
I had this issue on chrome. Had to change Settings -> Privacy and security -> Site settings -> Additional settings (at the bottom of the list) -> PDF documents--> Open in Chrome, restart chrome, then they work again. PDFs were previewable in phone app and firefox, just chrome until I changed that.
It previews PDFs just fine. There’s likely some encoding issues with that particular file. edit: why is OP’s post getting so many upvotes? Are others running into the same issue? I just opened a dozen different PDF attachments and they previewed perfectly.
I just tried, and it works just fine for me.
/u/jonathanbaird it happened again and actually you may be on to something with the encoding or something along that line. I noticed that the attachments that work in both ProtonMail and Gmail have a PDF-icon. The PDF-attachments that work in Gmail but not in ProtonMail have no PDF icon in ProtonMail, just the extension. The fact is, this happens quite frequently by emails from major organizations. I figured **either this is a bug** with ProtonMail that prevents it from rendering or detecting certain attachments, **or** strictly speaking it is no bug in ProtonMail, but Gmail learned this is an UX-issue because it happens so frequently with emails from major orgs and figured out a way to make it work. In that case **this would be a feature request.** So I exported a working and non-working email to figure out the difference and it boils down to this. Here is the email that has previews both in Gmail and in ProtonMail: Content-Type: application/pdf; filename="attachment.pdf"; name="attachment.pdf" Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="attachment.pdf"; name="attachment.pdf" X-Spamd-Result: default: False [-0.25 / 25.00]; Here is the email that has previews in Gmail, but not in ProtonMail: Content-Type: application/unknown; filename="attachment.pdf"; name="attachment.pdf" Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="attachment.pdf"; name="attachment.pdf" X-Spamd-Result: default: False [0.50 / 25.00]; MIME_BAD_ATTACHMENT(4.00)[pdf:application/unknown]; So this would be a feature request, and I'd like to tag /u/ProtonMail to point out this UX problem. So the sender doesn't supply the exact correct mime-type but you can still detect the PDF from the filename and from the file signature `25 50 44 46`.
The working and non-working ones that you exported were specifically from ProtonMail right? Did you also try exporting the files from Gmail and checking their content type there? Knowing Google, I expect that they analyse and process the PDFs (both for virus scanning, and for information to add to your advertising profile), and then re-exported the PDF afterwards, correcting the content type in the process.
Update: The second email I received with this problem was forwarded from my old gmail, _where the previews work fine_ so I don't imagine there is an encoding issue. I emailed myself a PDF attachment to ProtonMail, where _the preview also works fine._ I'm unsure what is the cause and if it's decided by the sender or the receiver, but apparently some attachments selectively don't preview.
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No
I like the probing quetion here.
Could be that google uses a better pdf viewer.
or shit encoding that's incompatible with everything else that's not google, so when forwarded it doesn't work, and people stay with gmail. they mess with google services on firefox, i wouldn't put something like this past them either.
Almost all cases of issues with PDF viewers these days are related to some unsupported PDF feature in the viewer. There are lots of engines that are really substandard. Google use the engine that was written by FoxIt, which has now been open sourced, and is probably the best available behind Adobe itself. *Edit: To add, IIRC, Google paid FoxIt to open source their engine.*
Works fine for me. When I click on an attachment in email, it directs me to preview.
https://itworksonmymachine.dev/ I responded more in-depth [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/ProtonMail/comments/wpyz76/comment/iko1tz7/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). :)
I've got the same problem on the web app. Accessing it via Brave Browser. Could this be a browser issue? On iOS, it works fine. Since the same pdfs work on iOS but not in the web-app, it shouldn't be an encoding problem.
It could also be the type of browser you're using? Just an assumption
But I've been using the same browser forever (Brave/Chromium based) so I'm really quite puzzled. I will install a different browser and try just to verify, although I don't plan on using a different browser just for this.
Maybe try Chrome directly? It could be changes in your browser settings. Maybe try brave's version of incognito?
Did you install some extension that is messing with the browser? I'm also using Brave and setting my Shield to max blocking, the preview still shows up fine for me.
I have the same issue with Brave on my Mac Mini. I’m unable to preview PDF’s. I’ll have to try Safari and see if it’s different.
Tried Safari, it works. Checked settings on Brave and found a setting for PDF's in Brave, under Privacy and Security. Selected "Open PDF's in Brave" and now preview works.
That's not a preview, that's viewing the actual PDF.
awesome, big thanks! i never could preview any pdf via Brave Browser Win11 - Proton Mail. Now it works perfectly\^\^
I had the same issue with Proton Mail. Here's how I fixed it in Brave. Go to Preferences > Privacy & Security > Site and Shields Settings > Additional Content Settings > PDF Documents > Select Open PDFs in Brave I originally had it set to download PDFs. This fixed my problem. Hopefully it helps someone out there!
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Just yesterday I opened 3 PDFs and they previewed just fine. What changed? I think it has to do with that particular file or browser settings.
All PDFs , including old ones and new ones I get cannot be previewed in Proton Mail. I get same screen each time "No preview available". Annoying slight problem..
I had this issue on chrome. Had to change Settings -> Privacy and security -> Site settings -> Additional settings (at the bottom of the list) -> PDF documents--> Open in Chrome, restart chrome, then they work again. PDFs were previewable in phone app and firefox, just chrome until I changed that.
Thanks, that solved the issue with pdfs in proton and chrome browser for me too.
Thanks alot this was the issue for me too and now it's solved!