Firefox won't open local html files on Android tablet

Talk about Mozilla browsers for small devices such as PDAs and cellphones.
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BillK
Posts: 68
Joined: April 27th, 2005, 7:52 pm

Firefox won't open local html files on Android tablet

Post by BillK »

I have a webpage that lists a BUNCH of my favorite links from over the years. I want to use it as my homepage. On my Samsung Galaxy Tab A, it's on my SD card. But there's no way to open it in Firefox. When I type (or paste) the complete link (file:///SD card/...etc...) FF can't find the file. The space is replaced by "%20", making "file://SD%20card/...etc...". Another link like this: "file:///2054-C214/MyDir/Links.htm" gives the same result (but no spaces, so no %20).

I just installed the release version of FF from the Play Store yesterday.

If I launch My Files (file manager), and navigate to the file, then tap it, I am not presented with FF as one of the options (and now it just opens in Samsung's browser all the time, since I chose "Internet").
Last edited by BillK on March 17th, 2018, 3:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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LIMPET235
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Location: The South Coast of N.S.W. Oz.

Re: FF won't open local html files on Android tablet

Post by LIMPET235 »

Moving to the Mobile forum...
[Ancient Amateur Astronomer.]
Win-10-H/64 bit/500G SSD/16 Gig Ram/450Watt PSU/350WattUPS/Firefox-115.0.2/T-bird-115.3.2./SnagIt-v10.0.1/MWP-7.12.125.

(Always choose the "Custom" Install.)
BillK
Posts: 68
Joined: April 27th, 2005, 7:52 pm

Re: Firefox won't open local html files on Android tablet

Post by BillK »

ANSWER:

1) Go into Settings | Apps, tap Firefox and allow storage access under permissions
2) Set Firefox as the default browser
3) Create a shortcut on the home screen
4) Tap that shortcut
5) it will open in Firefox- copy the address by long pressing the address
6) Go into FF settings and make it the homepage by pasting it into the custom address field
kbrosnan
Posts: 520
Joined: October 23rd, 2003, 8:32 pm

Re: Firefox won't open local html files on Android tablet

Post by kbrosnan »

Firefox can navigate the local file system

Code: Select all

file:///sdcard/
will work. Inserting a space

Code: Select all

file:///SD card/
will not work as there is no folder called that on the Android filesystem.
DeadlyErnest
Posts: 5
Joined: December 8th, 2020, 5:15 pm

Re: Firefox won't open local html files on Android tablet

Post by DeadlyErnest »

The information provided above does not work for html pages stored on an SD card. The moment you use a file reference link and not an Internet based absolute link you get the 'No application can open this link' fault message. At this time my best guess is that FireFox has no code to allow it to use a file reference link and it requires a http or https start to the link to work.
DeadlyErnest
Posts: 5
Joined: December 8th, 2020, 5:15 pm

Re: Firefox won't open local html files on Android tablet

Post by DeadlyErnest »

the following code used to work in FireFox on Android 5 but doesn't work on the latest version of FireFox on Android 9 or Android 8. Can you tell me what I can do to make it work so I can read html files on the local file system.

Below is standard HTML code that works in a PC browser as HTML 4, HTML 5, and XHTML but fails with error messages of "Cant find URL" or "No app to open that file." NB: Extra spaces added to stop the code running.

< p class = " center " > < img src = " .. / images / in_the_mail_900.jpg " width = " 900 " height = " 1350 " alt = " Cover " > < / p >

< p class = " center " > < img src = " in_the_mail_900.jpg " width = " 900 " height = " 1350 " alt = " Cover " > < / p >

In the code above the first references a file in another sub-folder within the same folder the html is in a sub-folder of, while the second is another file in the same folder as the web page the code is on.

I believe this issue is the root cause of the original post.

BTW: BillK, that process does NOT associate the .htm file type with FireFox on Android 9

BTW: kbrosnan, that does not work on Android 9 as it doesn't recognize the file path stated.
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LIMPET235
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Re: Firefox won't open local html files on Android tablet

Post by LIMPET235 »

Hello,
You are replying to a thread/topic that died years ago.
Please don't bump these old threads/topics.

If you have a problem, just start a new thread, stating your details/OS etc....referring/linking to the old/er one.

Locking due to old age.
[Ancient Amateur Astronomer.]
Win-10-H/64 bit/500G SSD/16 Gig Ram/450Watt PSU/350WattUPS/Firefox-115.0.2/T-bird-115.3.2./SnagIt-v10.0.1/MWP-7.12.125.

(Always choose the "Custom" Install.)
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