Summary
- Users report the Files by Google app consistently crashes when attempting to open PDF files directly. This issue is specific to the Android 16 (DP and PB) and not observed on Android 15.
- A significant number of users have confirmed the bug on platforms like Reddit and Google’s IssueTracker.
- Clearing the app’s cache and storage can temporarily resolve the crash, but the problem returns after closing and reopening the app. Google is aware of the issue and investigating.
Beta software and apps are unstable, and that’s why we always recommend users to only install in-testing services on a secondary device to avoid disrupting their primary phone’s functionality.
For reference, Android 16’s first beta landed last week, and since then, users that have installed the beta OS have reported issues when switching apps with the navigation bar, visual inconsistencies, and apps crashing. For the latter, most issues have been reported with the Google Home app. Now, you can add Files by Google/Google Files to the list too.
Related
PDFs are currently breaking the Google Files app. Numerous users have reported that opening a PDF directly via the Files app results in the app immediately crashing without even a preview of the document. I can independently confirm the frustrating behavior as observed on a Pixel 8 running the first Android 16 public beta with Files by Google version 1.6131.717750442.1-release and version 1.6294.719811006.0-release. We couldn’t replicate the same issues on other devices running Android 15.
There’s a fix, but it’s temporary
Frustrated users have taken to Reddit and Google’s IssueTracker, with a thread on the latter gaining roughly 100 +1s, clearly indicating that this isn’t an isolated incident. It’s worth noting that the bug doesn’t completely break PDF functionality on your smartphone — opening PDFs via Google Drive or third-party readers works just fine.
Some affected users recommended clearing the app’s cache and storage as a remedy, and it seems to work, though the solution is short-lived. In my experience, the app displays PDF files as intended right after clearing app data, but only for the first session. Subsequent attempts at viewing PDFs after closing and re-opening the app promptly resulted in the app crashing, as seen in the video embedded below.
For what it’s worth, Google already knows about the issue. “Thank you for reporting this issue. We have shared this with our product and engineering team and will update this issue with more information as it becomes available,” wrote a Google engineer on the primary IssueTracker thread. This was on Friday, January 24, and a fix doesn’t seem to be out yet.