Display pdf when link clicked in WebView android

Question

I'm using a Web View to display a site inside my app, and that site contains links to PDF files. But when this links are pressed the Web View displays a blank page instead of the PDF files. Is there anyway I can get it to display the PDF files correctly?

Thanks in advance.

Solution 1

You can create an intent to open the pdf files:

@Override
public boolean launchPDF(WebView view, String url) {
    if ( urlIsPDF(url)){
        Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
        intent.setDataAndType(Uri.parse(url), "application/pdf");
        try{
            view.getContext().startActivity(intent);
        } catch (ActivityNotFoundException e) {
            //user does not have a pdf viewer installed
        }
    } else {
        webview.loadUrl(url);
    }
    return true;
}

And then whenever a user clicks a PDF link in a page within your webview, the file will open in an external PDF app.

Or you can use Google Docs to launch them:

String googleDocs = "https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=";
String pdf_url = "http://www.somedomain.com/new.pdf";  

webView.loadUrl(googleDocs + pdf_url);

Remember to use the Internet Permission.

Solution 2

Simple to opne doc/pdf etc

public static void openFile(Context context, String url) throws IOException {
    // Create URI
    Uri uri = Uri.parse(url);

    Intent intent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
    // Check what kind of file you are trying to open, by comparing the url with extensions.
    // When the if condition is matched, plugin sets the correct intent (mime) type,
    // so Android knew what application to use to open the file
    if (url.toString().contains(".doc") || url.toString().contains(".docx")) {
        // Word document
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "application/msword");
    } else if(url.toString().contains(".pdf")) {
        // PDF file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "application/pdf");
    } else if(url.toString().contains(".ppt") || url.toString().contains(".pptx")) {
        // Powerpoint file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "application/vnd.ms-powerpoint");
    } else if(url.toString().contains(".xls") || url.toString().contains(".xlsx")) {
        // Excel file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "application/vnd.ms-excel");
    } else if(url.toString().contains(".zip") || url.toString().contains(".rar")) {
        // WAV audio file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "application/x-wav");
    } else if(url.toString().contains(".rtf")) {
        // RTF file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "application/rtf");
    } else if(url.toString().contains(".wav") || url.toString().contains(".mp3")) {
        // WAV audio file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "audio/x-wav");
    } else if(url.toString().contains(".gif")) {
        // GIF file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "image/gif");
    } else if(url.toString().contains(".jpg") || url.toString().contains(".jpeg") || url.toString().contains(".png")) {
        // JPG file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "image/jpeg");
    } else if(url.toString().contains(".txt")) {
        // Text file
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "text/plain");
    } else if(url.toString().contains(".3gp") || url.toString().contains(".mpg") || url.toString().contains(".mpeg") || url.toString().contains(".mpe") || url.toString().contains(".mp4") || url.toString().contains(".avi")) {
        // Video files
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "video/*");
    } else {
        //if you want you can also define the intent type for any other file

        //additionally use else clause below, to manage other unknown extensions
        //in this case, Android will show all applications installed on the device
        //so you can choose which application to use
        intent.setDataAndType(uri, "*/*");
    }

    intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
    context.startActivity(intent);
}

Comments

[durbnpoisn]

I'm pretty sure that even on the Android, you need a plugin of sorts to display a PDF. Usually, the device will ask the user what they would like to use to view it. I don't know that there is a seamless way to write that into a webview.

[njzk2]

webviews don't display pdfs.

[Andres]

Thanks. that really helped

[Hammad Khan]

urlIsPDF is not recognized, what do I need to include