● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportLow impact1 neutral
Gander: An Android File Viewer with Zero Permissions and Offline Functionality
Key points
- Gander is an open-source, offline Android file viewer.
- It supports PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, photos, videos, audio, Markdown, text, and code.
- The app operates with zero permissions, no internet access, ads, or tracking.
- It is a small APK (15 MB) and renders all content on the device.
- Legacy .doc and .ppt formats are not supported.
Introduction to Gander
Gander is a newly released open-source Android application designed to view various file types without requesting any permissions. It operates entirely offline, ensuring user privacy by not connecting to the internet, displaying ads, or tracking user activity. The application is packaged as a small 15 MB APK.
Supported File Formats and Features
The viewer supports a wide range of formats including PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, photos, videos, audio, Markdown, text, and code files. Key features include pinch zoom, smooth scrolling, recent files with thumbnail previews, and folder browsing via one-time system grants. It also integrates with the Android share sheet and "Open with" functionality, allowing users to open files from other applications directly in Gander. Search functionality is available within documents like Word, Excel, slides, Markdown, and text files.
Privacy-Centric Design
Gander's design prioritizes user privacy by not including the INTERNET permission, preventing it from "phoning home." All file rendering occurs on the device, contrasting with other viewers that might send documents to cloud services. The application uses the Storage Access Framework and "Open with" intents to receive files, ensuring it only accesses documents explicitly chosen by the user. Office formats are rendered within a locked-down WebView, with all requests intercepted by WebViewAssetLoader to load bundled JS libraries from the app.
Compatibility and Installation
Gander is compatible with Android 8.0+ and features Material 3 design with dark mode support. It does not support legacy binary .doc and .ppt files, suggesting users re-save them as .docx or .pptx. Installation involves sideloading the APK, with options for automatic updates via Obtainium by adding the GitHub repository as a source.
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Primary sources
GitHub cmc_internal/api GitHub github/collect GitHub mokshablr/gander GitHub _private/browser GitHub get-started/accessibility GitHub open-source/sponsorsReporting from
Gander is a new open-source Android application that functions as a universal file viewer for various document, media, and code formats without requiring any permissions, internet access, or tracking. This application addresses privacy concerns by rendering files entirely on-device, contrasting with other viewers that may rely on cloud services.