Open an STL from WhatsApp, Gmail or Drive

A 3D file usually reaches your phone as an attachment: a client sends a part on WhatsApp, a friend emails a model, or you save one to Drive from your computer. Android does not know what to do with STL or 3MF by default, so the trick is to hand the file straight to a viewer instead of saving it and searching for it later.

The general rule: share or open with

Almost every Android app that holds a file offers one of two actions:

• Open with, which asks which app should open the file
• Share, which sends the file to another app

If a 3D viewer that accepts shared files is installed, it appears in that list. Pick it, and the file opens directly. MeshView accepts files both ways.

From WhatsApp

1. Ask the sender to attach the model as a document, not as media. Documents keep the original file and its name.
2. Tap the file in the chat to download it.
3. Use the share or open option on the file and choose your viewer.

From Gmail

1. Open the email and find the attachment.
2. Tap it, or use its download or share option.
3. Choose your viewer from the list of apps.

If the file arrives inside a ZIP, the same steps work with a viewer that opens archives. See how to open a ZIP of 3D models on Android.

From Google Drive

1. Find the file in Drive.
2. Open its menu and pick Open with, or Send a copy to share it.
3. Choose your viewer.

From your file manager

Files you downloaded earlier are usually in the Download folder. Tap the file, or long-press and share it, then choose the viewer. You can also open the viewer and use its own file picker.

What happens to the file

The sending app passes the file to the viewer, which reads it from there. A viewer should not need access to your whole storage for this. MeshView reads only the file you share or pick, works offline, and never uploads it. See what a 3D viewer app does with your files.

If the viewer is not in the list

• Make sure the file really is an .stl, .3mf or .zip. Some apps rename attachments or add an extension.
• Download the attachment first, then share it from your file manager.
• Open the viewer and pick the file from its own picker instead.

Check it before you reply

Once it is open, glance at the size and the triangle count, and compare them with what the sender described. A part that should be 50 mm and reads 2 mm is a unit problem worth flagging straight away. See STL has no units.