Gander, an Android file viewer that asks for no permissions

In plain words

Gander is an Android file viewer that opens PDFs, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, images, video, audio, Markdown, and code files. It requires no permissions, not even internet access, ensuring files cannot leave the device. The app uses Pdfium for PDFs, Media3 for media, and bundled JavaScript libraries for office formats, with all rendering happening locally. It functions as a viewer only, with some limitations on complex PowerPoints and spreadsheet charts.

written from the facts on this page · September 2026

From the sources

Take a gander at any file. Offline, zero-permission Android viewer for PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, photos, video, audio, Markdown and code. - mokshablr/gander

Take a gander at any file. A tiny, open source, fully offline file viewer for Android that opens PDF, Word ( .docx ), Excel, PowerPoint ( .pptx ), photos, videos, audio, Markdown, text and code in one app, with zero permissions, no ads, no tracking and no internet access at all . Google will not let a personal developer account publish until twelve people have used the app for fourteen continuous days . That is the only thing left between Gander and everyone who will never install an APK by hand. Step 3 is the one that counts. Google checks the app was genuinely used, not just installed, so twelve untouched installs fail. Making it your default costs you nothing after the first tap. It is…from github.com

In the maker’s words, at launch

Hi HN, I built an Android file viewer that opens PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, video, audio, Markdown and code, and asks for no permissions at all. I have always been uneasy about opening files people send me. On Android you either install a 400 MB office suite and sign in or use a small free viewer that…

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