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Help No file attachments?

B

bekpekker

Lurker
I can't seem to attach a simple Word or Excel file using Gmail, Hotmail or a local email client on my Nexus 7. This is when using the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox and Dolphin browser. Being in China for half a year the only way I can send these files is by attaching them to an email as all webdrive services are blocked in China. Is this a bug or an unwelcome policy of the developers? If it's a bug, is there a way around it? An app or something?

Thank you very much for your responses!
 
The standard Gmail app on the Nexus 7 has a little icon with a "+" sign next to the subject line of the "Compose" page. Tap it to add an attachment.
 
Thanks for your fast response John.

Unfortunately doing so leads me to the map where my documents are stored but with the message that the map is empty, which it is not. But it doesn't contain photos or the like but Excel and Word files. This does make clearer that Google just really doesn't want me to attach other files. Why else would they filter these files from the search result? But to me it's just plain stupid. I'm getting sick and tired of these Android problems. I'm busy for over 2 weeks to make things work like every pc is doing straight out of the box for over 20 years!
 
I have no problem attaching Excel or Word files in Gmail. In my case, after touching the symbol with a + at the end of the Subject line, I opened Root Explorer from the choices and navigated to my documents folder under sdcard and chose an Excel file and a Word doc. I emailed them to another email account I have and they both came in as expected.
 
To clarify my reply - and elaborate on the other helpful response - you need an app on the phone that can handle the kind of file you want to attach. Gmail can't browse files but it offers you a choice of apps on your tablet that can be used to supply files for attachment. If you have an app that can edit/view Word files you could use that, or better yet any file explorer can do the job for any kind of file. I prefer ES File Explorer but many other options exist.

Edit: just to add, it works pretty much like any other PC except in one important regard: not every app is bloated with all the stuff common to all the other apps; instead they all cooperate by farming out requests to other dedicated apps.

For example, I use Kingsoft Office to read and edit Word and Excel files on the tablet; I can email a document from inside Kingsoft Office (using Gmail to do the work) or from Gmail I can ask Kingsoft Office to give me a file to email. Same result :-)

Your problem appears to be that you want to use files for which there is no "handler" app installed, so you have no way of supplying the file to Gmail. A file browser is a good match to the task as it will happily "handle" files of any type and pass them to Gmail.
 
The 'Choose type of attachment' window that opens when you touch the attachment symbol, I also have a choice of 'Root Browser' which also opens the file storage system and allows you to navigate to where your files are. It worked as well as Root Explorer or ES File Explorer would. A file manager of some sort should be available for you to find and select your file(s). Apologies if my first post was harsh.
 
Thanks a lot. Now THAT makes me understand the proces. I will find an app to make things possible. In the mean time I will send from OfficeSuite Pro which indeed gives me the option to send through Gmail. I hope the app makes it possible to use Hotmail as well as that's the service I'm using for the last 15 years or so. But I can't choose it from Office Suite Pro. Kingsoft however doesn't give me the option to send files but only to upload them to the cloud. Unfortunately all webdrive services are blocked here in China, otherwise that would have been my preference. But now at least I don't have to use a memory stick to getna filenfrom one device to the other to be able to mail an attachment!

Thanks a lot guys...
 
You still haven't quite grasped the important core of the "cooperative apps" paradigm - you can't select Hotmail as an email target from your office app presumably because you have not installed a Hotmail email app, simple as that. You do of course have Gmail because it's part of the base Android system.

Incidentally, Kingsoft Office does provide email, you didn't look hard enough. With a document open tap the "share" icon and all will become clear.... I hope :-)
 
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