How do I OPEN a file in My Files rather than SELECT it?

[AC Question]

I have a Samsung tab 4, running android 4.4.2. I want to use My Files to open a file in the app that handles it. Sometimes when I tap the file it opens the file in the app. This is what I want, other times it selects the files (check box) and allows me to rensme, deletw, etc., but not OPEN it in the app!

I don't understand how to control this behavior so I get the result I want. Double tap? No. Touch and hold? No.

How do I control the resulting action to get the file to open when I want it to?

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! It might depend on what kind of file you're trying to open. Is it consistently certain kinds of files that don't open with a tap?

 

[reACTIONary]

Thanks B. Diddy - The files are almost always adobe acrobat PDFs. I think I have the same problem with PNG and JPEG also. These are the only file types I have attempted to open through My Files rather than browsing within the app. I have multiple PDF viewers installed, they each have their own "library" and none are good for browsing and finding pdf documents in the other's library.

 

[B. Diddy]

Try going to the App Manager, tap Menu, then Reset App Preferences. When you try to open a PDF from My Files afterwards, does it ask you to select an app to open it with?

 

[reACTIONary]

Found the answer - When the file manager file list displays check boxes, that is, when it is in select mode, a file cannot be opened in its app by tapping the file. It can only be selected to be operated on by a file menu commaand, such as rename or delete. By selecting a menu operation and canceling it, you can cancel out of file select mode. The check boxes will no longer be displayed and you can tap quickly to open the file in its default appm or select an app to open it

If you are in file list mode, that is, no check boxes are displayed, and you tap and hold on the file, you will select it and enter file select mode. So to open files in an app, tap quickly and don't hold. If you do hold and inadvertently enter select mode, exit select mode by performing some benign operation ( not delete ! ) and then tap lightly.