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What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android?

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  What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-28 03:23 -0400
    Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> - 2026-10-28 09:12 +0000
      Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-29 23:56 -0400
        Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-31 15:16 +0100
          Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-31 11:52 -0400
            Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-10-31 16:55 +0000
              Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-31 13:38 -0400
            Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-31 19:43 +0100
    Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Arno Welzel <usenet@arnowelzel.de> - 2026-10-28 11:57 +0100
      Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2026-10-28 17:20 +0000
        Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-28 15:32 -0400
          Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> - 2026-10-28 19:51 +0000
            Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-28 16:12 -0400
              Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2026-10-28 20:53 +0000
                Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-28 21:11 -0400
                  Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-29 12:13 +0100
                    Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-29 14:31 -0400
                      Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-10-29 18:34 +0000
                        Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-29 15:23 -0400
                      Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-29 20:46 +0100
                        Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-29 20:56 -0400
                          Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2026-10-30 16:46 +0000
                            Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-30 14:29 -0400
                          Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-31 19:23 +0100
              Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> - 2026-10-28 21:23 +0000
                Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-28 22:37 -0400
                  Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> - 2026-10-29 09:23 +0000
                    Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-29 21:13 -0400
                      Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> - 2026-10-30 07:09 +0000
          Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-28 20:53 +0100
            Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-28 22:51 -0400
              Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-29 12:16 +0100
          Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2026-10-28 20:34 +0000
            Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-28 22:51 -0400
              Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2026-10-29 16:28 +0000
                Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-29 14:54 -0400
                  Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2026-10-30 16:35 +0000
                    Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-30 14:46 -0400
                      Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2026-10-30 20:02 +0000
                        Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-31 13:01 -0400
                          Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-31 19:29 +0100
                    Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-31 19:17 +0100
                Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-29 20:53 +0100
                  Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-31 13:11 -0400
        Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Arno Welzel <usenet@arnowelzel.de> - 2026-10-29 09:10 +0100
          Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-29 15:43 -0400
            Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-29 15:45 -0400
              Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-10-30 01:28 +0000
            Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Arno Welzel <usenet@arnowelzel.de> - 2026-10-30 15:24 +0100
              Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Arno Welzel <usenet@arnowelzel.de> - 2026-10-30 15:28 +0100
                Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-30 14:58 -0400
                  Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-31 19:09 +0100
                    Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-11-01 10:12 -0400
    Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-10-28 11:28 +0000
    Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-28 12:26 +0100
    Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2026-10-28 11:31 +0000
    Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? MCSM <despammed@mcsm.anonaddy.me> - 2026-10-28 13:32 +0100
    Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2026-10-28 13:21 +0000
      Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-28 18:22 +0100
        Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2026-10-29 09:08 +0000
          Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-10-29 10:22 +0000
            Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> - 2026-10-30 18:32 +0000
    Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2026-10-28 16:55 +0000
    Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-10-28 17:13 +0000
      Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-29 21:40 -0400
        Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-30 00:07 -0400
          Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-10-30 07:27 +0000
            Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-30 14:58 -0400
              Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-10-31 19:12 +0100
    Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> - 2026-10-30 07:10 +0000
      Re: What do you prefer for reading & saving PDFs on Android? Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-10-30 15:11 -0400

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#156804

On 2026-10-31 18:01, Maria Sophia wrote:
> Frank Slootweg wrote:
>>> When you act like an adult, I'll treat you like you're an adult. Clear?
>>
>>    Promises, promises.
>>    
>>    Someone-with-a-different-view != 'child'.
>>
>>    Someone-with-a-misplaced-superiority-complex != 'adult'.
> 
> Bullshit.
> 
> You acted like a child and now, as the first absurd excuse you can think of
> to defend yourself, you're claiming it's a difference of a point of view.
> 
> Name the "difference in a point of view" that you're alluding to, Frank.
> Name it!
> 
> HINT: If you can't name it, then it's bullshit.


Arlen... On second thoughts, I will not bother to answer.


-- 
Cheers,
        Carlos E.R.
        ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺.

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#156802

On 2026-10-30 17:35, Frank Slootweg wrote:
> Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> wrote:
>> Frank Slootweg wrote:
> [...]
> 
> [Usual lies deleted.]
> 
>>>> The question was to find a UNIVERSAL solution that everyone can benefit
>>>> from, and I found it,
>>>
>>>    Using an extra file manager is *also* "a UNIVERSAL solution that
>>> everyone can benefit from", just a *different* one than you came up
>>> with.
>>
>> I get it Frank, that invest all your time shooting down solutions to
>> problems so that you can propose absurdly complex, substandard &
>> proprietary workarounds that only work for a subset of people, but...
> 
>    Since when is an extra file manager "absurdly complex, substandard &
> proprietary"!?
> 
>    And note that it is not just my suggestion. also Arno's (and I think
> Andy's).

And mine.

And I installed mine from F-droid, so it is not proprietary.


-- 
Cheers,
        Carlos E.R.
        ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺.

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#156741

On 2026-10-29 17:28, Frank Slootweg wrote:
> Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> wrote:
>> Frank Slootweg wrote:
>>>    Read my other response. The Android version of WhatsApp cannot save,
>>> only share and share has no 'save' choice, unless you have a file
>>> manager, which can be a share destination, which can do that. (As said,
>>> no such problem with the Windows version of WhatsApp.)
>>
>> Hi Frank,
>>
>> Thanks for that data about Android WA not having a Share-to-Save choice.
>>
>> Thankfully, I found a way to add "Save on Device" to WhatsApp sharesheet!
>>   <https://i.postimg.cc/B6ryMZpn/saveasfile.jpg>
>>
>> As are almost all my solutions, it's universal, simple, and hence,
>> brilliantly elegant, since it works for any app that won't let you save.
> 
>    <barf!>

I also posted a solution using a file manager. But arguably, some people 
might find easier to use a small app that just does "saves as" which is 
easier to handle.

To me, it is easier to use an existing file manager than install a new 
app for a single purpose.

-- 
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;

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#156796

Carlos E.R. wrote:
> I also posted a solution using a file manager. But arguably, some people 
> might find easier to use a small app that just does "saves as" which is 
> easier to handle.
> 
> To me, it is easier to use an existing file manager than install a new 
> app for a single purpose.

You're correct.

So is Richmond. 

What happened was, out of the blue, I needed to open a PDF in WhatsApp
which was sent to me by one of my kids who is on the Apple platform.

I fumbled about, and opened the PDF (because I needed to see if the
plumbing quote to advise my kid whether she should pay for it or not).

Turns out it cost me $15 in parts for what the plumber quoted $740, 
so I gave the parts to my son in law who installed them quickly.

Since I had fumbled with opening the PDF (ending up using a geotagger for
map PDFs, of all things), I figured I'd ask this ng what they use.

Turns out that both questions are immensely more complex when we dug into
them than they at first appeared to be.

I had NO IDEA how unintuitive the Android Share Sheet was, for example.
Nor how unintuitive the Open With sheet is. Nor the fact that, at least on
my system, plenty of apps that 'can' open a PDF, won't show up in them.

Anyway, we learned a ton about share sheets and open with, and we found out
from Frank's astute observations that the Windows WhatsApp saves directly.

The GOOD NEWS is we now have three apps which save directly if we need it.
 1. <https://f-droid.org/packages/name.lmj001.savetodevice>
 2.  <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mateusrodcosta.apps.share2storage>
 3. <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trishunyainfotech.savelocal>

They should work in all situations. Not just for PDFs. And not just for WA.
That's good because I don't remember us discussing that feature before.

So we've accomplished the goal of appreciably adding to the ng tribal
knowledge in every thread. This is all new to me so I learned a lot!

Thanks!
-- 
On Usenet, the best ideas often come from someone else's correction.

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#156712

Frank Slootweg, 2026-10-28 18:20:

> Arno Welzel <usenet@arnowelzel.de> wrote:
>> Maria Sophia, 2026-10-28 08:23:
>>
>>> Needed to have two toilet wax rings replaced so I received a PDF in
>>> Whatsapp on Android of the $750 estimate (I ended up doing it for $15). 
>>>  <https://i.postimg.cc/g2kQdrwY/toilet.jpg>
>>>
>>> My question is what free no registration Android app reads and saves PDF? 
>>
>> Why "save"? If you can view the PDF you already have it. And saving the
>> PDF you got via WhatsApp should be a feature of WhatsApp itself.
> 
>   I agree, saving *should* be a feature of WhatsApp, but - contrary to
> the Windows version - the Android version of WhatsApp does not have a
> save (file) feature, only Share. And by default - at least on Arlen's
> and my Samsung phone - Share does not have a a save choice either. So as
> you mention (below), you'll need a extra file manager to get that.

Exactly - "share" *is* the "save" feature, since this allows you to use
the data wherever you want. You can also "share" data it with a file
manager which then saves it as file.

>   But as I mentioned in my earlier response, you can just just view the
> PDF from WhatsApp and then save the file from the PDF viewer.

Yes - *if* the PDF viewer has a "save" function. This was the original
question in this thread - which PDF viewer provides a "save" function.
And since you can just use a file manager to store data as file, I also
suggested to "share" it this way:

>> whenever you recieve any file via WhatsApp - not only PDF - you can save
>> it or "share" it with a file manage on your device to save it.
>>
>> My preferred file manager is Cx File Explorer.
>>
>> My preferred PDF viewer is MuPDF.


-- 
Arno Welzel
https://arnowelzel.de

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#156737

Arno Welzel wrote:
> Exactly - "share" *is* the "save" feature, since this allows you to use
> the data wherever you want. You can also "share" data it with a file
> manager which then saves it as file.

Hi Arno,

You bring up a good point, where, moments ago, I had responded to Andy 
after looking up the design intentions, and agree with you on this fact.

Luckily, the solution I came up with uses the share feature to save.
 *PSA: I found a GREAT way to add 'save to device' to the Android share sheet (which works on apps like WA that don't want you to share to the device!)*
 <https://xdaforums.com/t/psa-i-found-a-great-way-to-add-save-to-device-to-the-android-share-sheet-which-works-on-apps-like-wa-that-dont-want-you-to-share-to-the-device.4806835/>

>>   But as I mentioned in my earlier response, you can just just view the
>> PDF from WhatsApp and then save the file from the PDF viewer.
> 
> Yes - *if* the PDF viewer has a "save" function. This was the original
> question in this thread - which PDF viewer provides a "save" function.
> And since you can just use a file manager to store data as file, I also
> suggested to "share" it this way:

When I first saw you suggested "the PDF viewer" in WhatsApp, I didn't say 
anything because I don't see any PDF viewer inside of the WhatsApp GUI.

Notice I ignored, in this thread, all the suggestions that didn't work.
I focused on only the suggestions that stood a chnce of working for all.

I just looked it up to be sure about what I'm about to say next, which is I 
don't think there is a PDF viewer inside of WhatsApp, so that won't work.

Sure, it will work if the person has a PDF viewer, but, that's why I asked 
the question of what Android PDF viewer people felt they liked the most.

Of course, I have a billion PDF viewers, but that wasn't the question.
 <https://i.postimg.cc/tRmWnpFP/whatsappshare.jpg>

The question was hoping to find a GOOD PDF viewer (better than others).
-- 
On Usenet, we can pool our knowledge and skills so everyone learns more.

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#156738

Maria Sophia wrote:
> The question was hoping to find a GOOD PDF viewer (better than others).

In fairness to Arno, I should commend him for understanding the subject of
this thread, which he did, which is the chosen PDF viewer has to also save.

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#156749

On 2026-10-29, Maria Sophia wrote:

> Maria Sophia wrote:
>> The question was hoping to find a GOOD PDF viewer (better than others).
>
> In fairness to Arno, I should commend him for understanding the subject of
> this thread, which he did, which is the chosen PDF viewer has to also save.

Meanwhile, the one I did mention that also seems to have Save (As) has
eluded discussion so far :-D

-- 
Nuno Silva

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#156761

Maria Sophia, 2026-10-29 20:43:

> Arno Welzel wrote:
>> Exactly - "share" *is* the "save" feature, since this allows you to use
>> the data wherever you want. You can also "share" data it with a file
>> manager which then saves it as file.
> 
> Hi Arno,
> 
> You bring up a good point, where, moments ago, I had responded to Andy 
> after looking up the design intentions, and agree with you on this fact.
> 
> Luckily, the solution I came up with uses the share feature to save.
>  *PSA: I found a GREAT way to add 'save to device' to the Android share sheet (which works on apps like WA that don't want you to share to the device!)*
>  <https://xdaforums.com/t/psa-i-found-a-great-way-to-add-save-to-device-to-the-android-share-sheet-which-works-on-apps-like-wa-that-dont-want-you-to-share-to-the-device.4806835/>
> 
>>>   But as I mentioned in my earlier response, you can just just view the
>>> PDF from WhatsApp and then save the file from the PDF viewer.
>>
>> Yes - *if* the PDF viewer has a "save" function. This was the original
>> question in this thread - which PDF viewer provides a "save" function.
>> And since you can just use a file manager to store data as file, I also
>> suggested to "share" it this way:
> 
> When I first saw you suggested "the PDF viewer" in WhatsApp, I didn't say 
> anything because I don't see any PDF viewer inside of the WhatsApp GUI.

No, I didn't.

I assumed, that WhatsApp has a "save" feature (I never used WhatsApp).
And if this is not the case, then use "share" and select a file manager
like "Cx File Manager" as target where you then can save the file.


-- 
Arno Welzel
https://arnowelzel.de

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#156763

Arno Welzel, 2026-10-30 15:24:

> Maria Sophia, 2026-10-29 20:43:
> 
>> Arno Welzel wrote:
>>> Exactly - "share" *is* the "save" feature, since this allows you to use
>>> the data wherever you want. You can also "share" data it with a file
>>> manager which then saves it as file.
>>
>> Hi Arno,
>>
>> You bring up a good point, where, moments ago, I had responded to Andy 
>> after looking up the design intentions, and agree with you on this fact.
>>
>> Luckily, the solution I came up with uses the share feature to save.
>>  *PSA: I found a GREAT way to add 'save to device' to the Android share sheet (which works on apps like WA that don't want you to share to the device!)*
>>  <https://xdaforums.com/t/psa-i-found-a-great-way-to-add-save-to-device-to-the-android-share-sheet-which-works-on-apps-like-wa-that-dont-want-you-to-share-to-the-device.4806835/>
>>
>>>>   But as I mentioned in my earlier response, you can just just view the
>>>> PDF from WhatsApp and then save the file from the PDF viewer.
>>>
>>> Yes - *if* the PDF viewer has a "save" function. This was the original
>>> question in this thread - which PDF viewer provides a "save" function.
>>> And since you can just use a file manager to store data as file, I also
>>> suggested to "share" it this way:
>>
>> When I first saw you suggested "the PDF viewer" in WhatsApp, I didn't say 
>> anything because I don't see any PDF viewer inside of the WhatsApp GUI.
> 
> No, I didn't.
> 
> I assumed, that WhatsApp has a "save" feature (I never used WhatsApp).
> And if this is not the case, then use "share" and select a file manager
> like "Cx File Manager" as target where you then can save the file.

The correct name is "Cx File Explorer" not "Cx File Manager".


-- 
Arno Welzel
https://arnowelzel.de

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#156780

Arno Welzel wrote:
>> I assumed, that WhatsApp has a "save" feature (I never used WhatsApp).
>> And if this is not the case, then use "share" and select a file manager
>> like "Cx File Manager" as target where you then can save the file.
> 
> The correct name is "Cx File Explorer" not "Cx File Manager".

+1. I agree. 

It's on my system as "CX File Explorer" (as you correctly noted).
  <https://i.postimg.cc/YqnZzMvq/cxfileexplorer.jpg>

The main issue (that I didn't know, until moments ago when I tried to
document the list of apps/activities that show up in the sharesheet), is
that the sharesheet gives a DIFFERENT result on different invocations. 

That's nuts.

So, sometimes an app will show up. Sometimes it won't.
The only way I know, at this time, to get the full list, is using adb.

 C:\> adb shell cmd package query-activities -a android.intent.action.SEND -t application/pdf --user 0 | grep -E "(packageName|name=)"

That gave me 87 entries out of 54 distinct apps (64 individual activities)

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#156800

On 2026-10-30 19:58, Maria Sophia wrote:
> The main issue (that I didn't know, until moments ago when I tried to
> document the list of apps/activities that show up in the sharesheet), is
> that the sharesheet gives a DIFFERENT result on different invocations.

It is sorted by most recent use and some other criteria I don't know. 
So, yes, indeed it changes from call to call

-- 
Cheers,
        Carlos E.R.
        ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺.

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#156811

Carlos E. R. wrote:
> On 2026-10-30 19:58, Maria Sophia wrote:
>> The main issue (that I didn't know, until moments ago when I tried to
>> document the list of apps/activities that show up in the sharesheet), is
>> that the sharesheet gives a DIFFERENT result on different invocations.
> 
> It is sorted by most recent use and some other criteria I don't know. 
> So, yes, indeed it changes from call to call

Thanks. 

What I've found out in this thread is that the options are capriciously 
presented, where even the "Save on device" option shows up only sometimes.

I didn't know Android was that badly designed in terms of what shows up.
Now I do know that it's basically capricious in what it presents to us.

Which is good to know. Because we have to be prepared for it.

Anyway, Carlos & Andy & Richmond were correct that the latest Firefox 159 
acts differently than Firefox 117 did in how it's presented in the sheets.

Proof below:

Newsgroups: alt.comp.software.firefox
Subject: Re: Android Firefox does NOT show up in my WhatsApp PDF attachment OpenWith sheet
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2026 10:01:44 -0400
Message-ID: <11c7go7$2hik$1@nnrp.usenet.blueworldhosting.com>

R Daneel Olivaw wrote:
> Carlos E. R. wrote:
>> On 2026-10-31 19:04, Maria Sophia wrote:
>>> This implies that my Android Firefox build (v117.1.0) limits its 
>>> ACTION_VIEW
>> 
>> Update it. You are using an obsolete version, thus you miss features. 
>> FFx is striving to be the best free PDF cross platform viewer.
>> 
> 
> My Android Firefox says it is 159.0.
> Of course updating from 117 to 159 will totally change all sorts of 
> things because the developers seem to like change for the sake of change 
> but - irritating though that is - it is better to be current, especially 
> if you want some "correct" feature(s).

Woo hoo!

Carlos & Andy were right all along! 

Thank you all for sticking with this, because what I've learned is 
 a. Android Firefox 117 does NOT show up in the WA OpenWith sheet
 b. Android Firefox 159 DOES show up in the WA OpenWith sheet!

PROOF BEFORE:
 Firefox does not show up in the Samsung Android 13 WA PDF OpenWith sheet:
  <https://i.postimg.cc/59qhZRmR/openwithpdf.jpg>
 Firefox does not show up in the Samsung Android 13 WA PDF ShareTo sheet:
  <https://i.postimg.cc/YqnZzMvq/cxfileexplorer.jpg>

PROOF AFTER:
 Firefox DOES show up in the Samsung Android 13 WA PDF OpenWith sheet:
  <https://i.postimg.cc/9XNGYXGf/wa-openwith-firefox.jpg>
 Firefox still does not show up in the Android 13 WA PDF ShareTo sheet:
  <https://i.postimg.cc/9XtN17LJ/washareto.jpg>

The rest below are just the commands I used to install Firefox 159
(since I operate my phone from the desktop, as the phone is on Wi-Fi
so there's no need to touch it to use it when I'm at home mirroring).

Note: When sideloading Firefox from the official Mozilla repo
      <https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/fenix/releases/>
      It won't automatically update in the background.

The latest official non-beta build appears to be 159.0 in the list.
 <https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/fenix/releases/159.0/>
 <https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/fenix/releases/159.0/android/>

Since I always strive to make universal decisions that are globally useful 
to everyone, I decided not to install the targeted Firefox for my device.
 <https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/fenix/releases/159.0/android/fenix-159.0-android-arm64-v8a/fenix-159.0.multi.android-arm64-v8a.apk>
 C:\> cd c:\software\apk\browser\firefox\.
 C:\> curl -O https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/fenix/releases/159.0/android/fenix-159.0-android-arm64-v8a/fenix-159.0.multi.android-arm64-v8a.apk
 Name: fenix-159.0.multi.android-arm64-v8a.apk
 Size: 133943377 bytes (127 MiB)
 SHA256: F78E11ABC85C59DD7AAB03DD8F926AC62DF99731CCF62EC6EC937C18B3E33AA9

But, instead, I installed the universal Firefox that anyone can use.
 <https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/fenix/releases/159.0/android/fenix-159.0-android/fenix-159.0.multi.android-universal.apk>
 C:\> cd c:\software\apk\browser\firefox\.
 C:\> curl -O https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/fenix/releases/159.0/android/fenix-159.0-android/fenix-159.0.multi.android-universal.apk
 Name: fenix-159.0.multi.android-universal.apk
 Size: 304962287 bytes (290 MiB)
 SHA256: D95992785DC9D72D2EE0406477879E3B24AFD7E67768CB6E7476B11DE6B5F63F

The phone is in some drawer somewhere in the house, but since I fully 
control the Android phone over Wi-Fi from the desktop PC, I installed using
 C:\> adb install -r fenix-159.0.multi.android-universal.apk
      Performing Streamed Install
      Success
 C:\> echo "=== SYSTEM INFO ===" && adb shell getprop ro.product.model && adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release && echo "=== FIREFOX VERSION ===" && adb shell dumpsys package org.mozilla.firefox | grep versionName
      "=== SYSTEM INFO ==="
      SM-A326U
      13
      "=== FIREFOX VERSION ==="
      versionName=159.0

 C:\> adb shell cmd package resolve-activity --brief -t application/pdf -d content://com.whatsapp.provider.media/item/123
        priority=100 preferredOrder=0 match=0x608000 specificIndex=-1 isDefault=true
        com.google.android.documentsui/com.android.documentsui.picker.PickActivity
 
 C:\> adb shell dumpsys package org.mozilla.firefox | grep -A 15 "MIME Typed Actions:"
      MIME Typed Actions:
      android.intent.action.SEND:
        13b34de org.mozilla.firefox/org.mozilla.fenix.IntentReceiverActivity filter c74fa78
          Action: "android.intent.action.SEND"
          Category: "android.intent.category.DEFAULT"
          StaticType: "text/plain"
      android.intent.action.VIEW:
        13b34de org.mozilla.firefox/org.mozilla.fenix.IntentReceiverActivity filter 9429fdb
          Action: "android.intent.action.VIEW"
          Category: "android.intent.category.BROWSABLE"
          Category: "android.intent.category.DEFAULT"
          Scheme: "http"
          Scheme: "https"
          StaticType: "text/html"
          StaticType: "text/plain"
          StaticType: "application/xhtml+xml"

Thank you all for testing this as it didn't seem likely that
the manifest would change between releases, but it apparently did.
-- 
On Usenet you can often find people who know a lot more than you do.

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#156679

On 2026-10-28, Maria Sophia wrote:

> Needed to have two toilet wax rings replaced so I received a PDF in
> Whatsapp on Android of the $750 estimate (I ended up doing it for $15). 
>  <https://i.postimg.cc/g2kQdrwY/toilet.jpg>
>
> My question is what free no registration Android app reads and saves PDF? 
> I rarely (actually almost never) deal with PDFs on Android. 
>
> But this time, I had to read it, pronto, in order to make a decision.
> So I had to do whatever was needed to read the quote emailed to me.
>
> I tried a pre-installed Adobe Acrobat Reader but it immediately asked for a
> login, which is just nuts, so I deleted it. Next I chose QField out of the
> list, which read it, so I could see the quote, but I couldn't save the PDF.
>  <ch.opengis.qfield>

Heh. My go-to before I installed the reader I mention below was Google
Drive.

> That solved the emergency though, but it begs the question of a PDF reader.
[...]
> Anyway, I read it. I saved it. 
> But what do you prefer for reading and saving PDFs on Android?

No idea about the *saving* part, but just for reading:

I think it's relatively new, so you may not have heard of it yet:
Fossify now has a document reader: Fossify Documents.

It seems to have a "save a copy" option in the three-dots menu, if
that's what you're looking for? (Never tried it myself, though.) The
changelog for the most recent version (which I haven't installed yet)
does mention adding "share".

<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.fossify.documents/>

Although one Fossify program (the file explorer) nagged me for donations
after a recent update, so I may end up reconsidering using their
software in general. (Mainly because this is a dark pattern, and also if
that weren't enough in itself, the cancel button was labeled "later"...)

As far as document reading is concerned, while I haven't tested it
extensively, I haven't noticed problems so far. (But there was really no
exhaustive or stress test, so take this with a massive grain of salt.)

-- 
Nuno Silva

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#156680

On 2026-10-28 08:23, Maria Sophia wrote:
> Needed to have two toilet wax rings replaced so I received a PDF in
> Whatsapp on Android of the $750 estimate (I ended up doing it for $15).
>   <https://i.postimg.cc/g2kQdrwY/toilet.jpg>
> 
> My question is what free no registration Android app reads and saves PDF?
> I rarely (actually almost never) deal with PDFs on Android.
> 
> But this time, I had to read it, pronto, in order to make a decision.
> So I had to do whatever was needed to read the quote emailed to me.
> 
> I tried a pre-installed Adobe Acrobat Reader but it immediately asked for a
> login, which is just nuts, so I deleted it. Next I chose QField out of the
> list, which read it, so I could see the quote, but I couldn't save the PDF.
>   <ch.opengis.qfield>

Why do you need to save the PDF? have you modified it? It will be in the 
same place where you got it from, ie, wasap.


> 
> That solved the emergency though, but it begs the question of a PDF reader.

In my phone I have EBookDroid, which is very good but is no longer 
available.

Firefox can read PDFs quite well, from wasap. It offers to "download" 
the file.

Collabora Office. Can export the file, which I take as "save". Can not 
resize, it displays my sample bigger than the screen.

Files by Google. Displays nicely. Offers to print. I do not see save.

Ghost Commander. No. Displays the code.



In my Tablet I have "PDF". Can "write" and "share" (for instance, with 
"Cx explorador de archivos", writes the file to downloads, possibly to 
other places.

Installed from F-droid.  I vote for this tool.


Librera FD. No menu. F-droid.

On open it asks "scroll mode", "book mode" or "musician mode".

Ah, tap in the middle of the page and several buttons appears, so that's 
the menu. Bottom right, a three dot menu includes "send file", which can 
send to "Cx file explorer" and thus save it.

It can read aloud the pdf. I tried it, it is monotone.

This is the tool I installed to read books instead of the unavailable 
EBookDroid, so it is powerful for reading.




PDF view. It is from Document reader (I installed it for reading word 
documents, possibly). Displays commercials. Installed by AppServices



> And, for the home-repair crowd, how does $750 sound for 2 toilet wax rings?

I don't know what that is.

-- 
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;

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#156681

In comp.mobile.android Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> wrote:
> Needed to have two toilet wax rings replaced so I received a PDF in
> Whatsapp on Android of the $750 estimate (I ended up doing it for $15). 
>  <https://i.postimg.cc/g2kQdrwY/toilet.jpg>
> 
> My question is what free no registration Android app reads and saves PDF? 
> I rarely (actually almost never) deal with PDFs on Android. 

Librera Reader:
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.foobnix.pro.pdf.reader/

PdfViewer:
https://github.com/GrapheneOS/PdfViewer
 
> And, for the home-repair crowd, how does $750 sound for 2 toilet wax rings?

We don't have wax rings in the UK.  Seems expensive, although this thread
suggests it's in the ballpark of US pricing.  People say you should just DIY:
https://www.reddit.com/r/askaplumber/comments/175d22h/wax_ring_replacement_toilet_reinstall_cost/

Theo

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#156682

On 28/10/2026 , *Maria Sophia* wrote:
.....
> My question is what free no registration Android app reads and saves PDF? 
> I rarely (actually almost never) deal with PDFs on Android. 
.....

*Mj PDF*
https://gitlab.com/mudlej_android/mj_pdf_reader

- Open source with total privacy.
- No data collection, no ads, no tracking.
- Incognito mode that saves nothing about what you read.
- Shared files can be kept as private copies so they reopen reliably: 
always, or ask each time.

-- 
          .:. MCSM .:.
-> posting from PC with MesNews <-

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#156684

On 28/10/2026 07:23, Maria Sophia wrote:

> My question is what free no registration Android app reads and saves PDF?
> I rarely (actually almost never) deal with PDFs on Android.

> Anyway, I read it. I saved it.
> But what do you prefer for reading and saving PDFs on Android?

I have MJ PDF and Falcon PDF. The problem with these PDF readers is the 
unnecessary addition of "features" to keep up with what alternative apps 
are offering.

For example MJ PDF has on its opening screen:
"Allow file access to build your library from the PDF's on this device". 
Er, why?

I want to read a single PDF - what is it doing trying to build a 
library? It explains if I touch "Allow access" that MJ PDF needs 
permission to access all files to find and open PDF files on the phone. 
That just seems the usual weasel-wording for almost any app. Why does it 
need access to /all/ files? Why not just PDFs? Is it just the way that 
Android operates of the access requirement is worded?

Falcon PDF seemed better, at least for a while. Now I see with the 
latest update offered:
New AI Chat and Read Aloud - bring your own AI at no extra cost or use 
hosted Falcon AI.

I don't want any AI on my phone, so it won't get updated (it's a pity 
that apps don't have a "never update" option). Or at least an option to 
only update security measures and avoid new feechas.

-- 
Jeff

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#156690

On 2026-10-28 14:21, Jeff Layman wrote:
> On 28/10/2026 07:23, Maria Sophia wrote:
> 
>> My question is what free no registration Android app reads and saves PDF?
>> I rarely (actually almost never) deal with PDFs on Android.
> 
>> Anyway, I read it. I saved it.
>> But what do you prefer for reading and saving PDFs on Android?
> 
> I have MJ PDF and Falcon PDF. The problem with these PDF readers is the 
> unnecessary addition of "features" to keep up with what alternative apps 
> are offering.
> 
> For example MJ PDF has on its opening screen:
> "Allow file access to build your library from the PDF's on this device". 
> Er, why?
> 
> I want to read a single PDF - what is it doing trying to build a 
> library? It explains if I touch "Allow access" that MJ PDF needs 
> permission to access all files to find and open PDF files on the phone. 
> That just seems the usual weasel-wording for almost any app. Why does it 
> need access to /all/ files? Why not just PDFs? Is it just the way that 
> Android operates of the access requirement is worded?

It is the way Android operates. The tool filters out non pdf files (or 
the other way round). Several PDF readers do this, then present a list 
of pdfs found for you to choose.

Some tools can read a number of book formats, and create a "library view 
of your books". It is convenient.

...

-- 
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;

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#156714

On 28/10/2026 17:22, Carlos E.R. wrote:
> On 2026-10-28 14:21, Jeff Layman wrote:
>> On 28/10/2026 07:23, Maria Sophia wrote:
>>
>>> My question is what free no registration Android app reads and saves PDF?
>>> I rarely (actually almost never) deal with PDFs on Android.
>>
>>> Anyway, I read it. I saved it.
>>> But what do you prefer for reading and saving PDFs on Android?
>>
>> I have MJ PDF and Falcon PDF. The problem with these PDF readers is the
>> unnecessary addition of "features" to keep up with what alternative apps
>> are offering.
>>
>> For example MJ PDF has on its opening screen:
>> "Allow file access to build your library from the PDF's on this device".
>> Er, why?
>>
>> I want to read a single PDF - what is it doing trying to build a
>> library? It explains if I touch "Allow access" that MJ PDF needs
>> permission to access all files to find and open PDF files on the phone.
>> That just seems the usual weasel-wording for almost any app. Why does it
>> need access to /all/ files? Why not just PDFs? Is it just the way that
>> Android operates of the access requirement is worded?
> 
> It is the way Android operates. The tool filters out non pdf files (or
> the other way round). Several PDF readers do this, then present a list
> of pdfs found for you to choose.
> 
> Some tools can read a number of book formats, and create a "library view
> of your books". It is convenient.

Coincidentally, a new update has just appeared for Falcon PDF. See "All 
your docs in one place" at 
<https://play.google.com/store/search?q=falcon+pdf+app&c=apps&hl=en> 
(it's the "screenshot" of a cellphone. Just touch/click on the > and it 
will move to that photo. It says it supports PDF, Word, ePub, and 10+ 
formats).

There is a paid version of Falcon, but the free version has no ads. I 
find it hard to believe that the paid-for version covers the cost of the 
free version, and without ads how is it financed?

-- 
Jeff

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