Can't change default PDF viewer - Word app getting in my face

[veryangryguy]

Hello! So I'm dealing with this nagging issue - I've downloaded some pdf file from my email to my phone and when I try to open it the Word app says 'file is corrupted' and closes it automatically without displaying it. However, I know for sure that the file itself is OK - I tested it on a desktop computer where I have all major browsers installed and they open that simple pdf scan without a problem. So it must be the mobile Word app at fault. OK, so I'll try to open it with some other app - in the past there used to be multiple alternative options (among them the Firefox and Firefox Focus browsers, I clearly recall).

However, now none is available. I choose 'open with':

https://ibb.co/m6xybJR (screenshot)

and instead of offering a list to choose from, the phone directly launches the Word app which repeats the embarassing annoyance. Then I figured out I probably need to remove its' default status for pdf files (though 'open with' is meant to override it, isn't it..)

So in the 'default apps' section of my phone settings menu, indeed Word is the default (mis)handler of pdf documents:
https://ibb.co/jyr4x3n

But again, it does not list any alternatives:
https://ibb.co/rGHbVhY

Then I went to the Word app settings to try clear defaults but even this is not available!!!
https://ibb.co/Qc7W7Sw


I'm literally mad with rage. Lost more that a [language redacted by Mod] hour dealing with this [language redacted by Mod] that should've been simple as hell!! Like one-tap simple. Can anyone help me, good ppl?

P.S. There's some problem with this forum's controls, I tried to make the screenshot links viewable or at least clickable but it doesn't work

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Do you have Google Drive installed? Drive should come with a native PDF viewer.

 

[Rukbat]

I find Foxit MobilePDF to still be about the best.

Why is there no alternative? Have you installed an alternative? (Phones don't open files, apps do.)

 

[veryangryguy]

Thanks for the tip. Yes, I have G-drive preinstalled, I had disabled it. Now that I enabled it, it appears as alternative.

Too bad it can't handle the file either - gives me: 'can't open - 'filename' is of invalid format'. And the file on my laptop opened without any problem in Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Edge. Then I looked at the file size, in my mailbox and locally on laptop it's listed as 940KB, while in my phone storage it's only 140KB. Strange..
Anyway, at least we found some solution to Word's monopoly over pdf files, which was the primary topic of this post. In the past the Firefox app was also listed as alternative PDF viewer, I can only wonder why no longer. I'd rather disable Drive to prevent it totally from snooping on my files. After all, it was created with the primary goal of 'syncing' your files to Google's servers, which I don't want to be possible.

 

[B. Diddy]

I strongly do not believe that Google is snooping anywhere, but since you're concerned about it, then try Foxit, as Rukbat suggested.