Supported file formats
Which files Filarr can preview, edit, search and convert, what you can do with each one, and the size limits that apply.
On this page
Documentation sections
Filarr stores any file you give it, whatever its format, and encrypts it the same way. What changes from one format to another is what Filarr can show you without leaving the app: a preview, an editor, text search inside the file. This page lists every format Filarr understands, family by family, with the limits that apply.
How a file opens
When you double-click a file, Filarr tries these options in order:
- If you once chose a program in Open with… and ticked the box to always use it (for example Always open .pdf files this way), your choice wins.
- If a built-in editor handles the format and the file is small enough, the editor opens.
- Images open in the gallery. PDF files, videos, audio files and e-books open in the preview.
- Anything else opens in the program your computer uses for that type (desktop app only).
To see a file without opening it for editing, select it with the arrow keys and press Space. Read Preview and open files for the details.
Preview by family
Images
| Formats | What you can do |
|---|---|
| .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, .webp, .bmp, .svg, .ico | Zoom, fit to width or height, actual size, rotate, full screen |
| .heic, .heif, .tif, .tiff | The same, after Filarr converts the image for display |
Double-clicking an image opens the gallery of the folder, with a slideshow, zoom and Download.
Documents
| Formats | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Page by page reading, page number, zoom, fit to width or page, thumbnails | |
| .docx (Word) | Read the text of the document, converted for display. The Word layout can differ |
| .fdoc (Filarr document) | Read the document and see its word count |
| .md, .mdx, .markdown | Switch between the formatted view and the source, copy the content |
| .html, .htm | Switch between the page and its source. Scripts, forms and anything loaded from the internet stay blocked |
| .epub (e-book) | Contents, larger or smaller text |
Tables
| Formats | What you can do |
|---|---|
| .csv, .tsv | Filter the rows, choose whether the first row holds the headers |
| .xlsx, .xls, .ods | Switch between the sheets of the workbook |
The preview of some .xlsx files, and of some .html pages, can show unreadable characters at the moment, even though the file itself is intact. If that happens, download the file, or open it with Open with… → System application in the desktop app.
Text and code
| Formats | What you can do |
|---|---|
| .txt, .log, .json, .xml, .yaml, .yml, .ini, .conf, .env, .sql, .css, .scss, .js, .jsx, .ts, .tsx, .py, .java, .c, .cpp, .h, .hpp, .cs, .go, .rs, .rb, .php, .sh, .bat, .gitignore, Dockerfile, Makefile | Search (Ctrl+F), line numbers, word wrap, copy the text |
Audio and video
| Formats | What you can do |
|---|---|
| .mp4, .webm, .ogg, .mov, .avi, .mkv | Play, pause, skip 10 seconds, volume, playback speed, picture-in-picture, full screen |
| .mp3, .wav, .flac, .aac, .m4a, .wma | Play, pause, skip 10 seconds, mute, repeat |
Filarr plays what its built-in player can decode. Some .avi, .mkv or .wma files may not play: download them and open them in another player.
Archives
| Formats | What you can do |
|---|---|
| .zip, .7z, .rar, .tar, .gz, .tgz | See the list of files as a tree, and read a text file inside the archive |
The archive preview is read-only: Filarr does not extract archives. A 7z or RAR archive protected by a password cannot be previewed, and some compression methods show as greyed out. See ZIP files and other archives.
Other formats
| Formats | What you can do |
|---|---|
| .ics (calendar) | See the list of events |
| .ttf, .otf, .woff, .woff2 (fonts) | See the alphabet and digits, try your own text, compare sizes |
| .eml (email) | Read the sender, recipients, subject, date and message. Attachments are listed by name only |
| .glb, .gltf (3D models) | Turn the model with the mouse |
Programs and disk images
| Formats | What Filarr shows |
|---|---|
| .exe, .msi, .dll, .dmg, .pkg, .app, .dylib, .deb, .rpm, .appimage, .so, .apk, .iso, .img, .bin | An information card only |
Filarr keeps these files encrypted and never runs them. To use one, download it and open it on your computer.
Formats without a preview
Filarr shows Preview not available for formats it does not read, for example PowerPoint (.pptx), older Word files (.doc), OpenDocument text (.odt), RTF and AVIF images. These files are stored and encrypted like any other. Download them, or open them with Open with… → System application in the desktop app.
Edit inside Filarr
| Editor | Formats | Largest file it opens |
|---|---|---|
| Edit text | .txt, .md, .mdx, .markdown, .csv, .tsv, .json, .log | 50 MB |
| Edit code | About 40 code formats, such as .js, .ts, .py, .java, .cs, .go, .rs, .php, .css, .xml, .yaml, .toml, .sh, .ps1, .sql | 2 MB |
| Edit table | .csv, .tsv | 512 KB |
| Edit calendar | .ics | 1 MB |
| Edit document | .fdoc | 50 MB |
- A .csv or .tsv file opens in the text editor by default. To edit it as a grid, right-click it, choose Open with…, then pick the table editor.
- A text file that is not in UTF-8 opens read-only, so that Filarr never damages its content.
- A file larger than the editor's limit opens in the preview instead, or in your computer's program.
- The New document button of a folder creates a plain text file, a Markdown file, a Filarr document (.fdoc), a CSV table or a calendar.
Read Edit files inside Filarr for the editors themselves.
Convert and export
| From | To | How |
|---|---|---|
| Word (.docx) | Filarr document (.fdoc) | Open with…, then the document editor. Filarr creates a new document with the text, headings, lists, tables and images. The Word layout does not carry over, and the original file stays untouched |
| Filarr document (.fdoc) | Word (.docx) | Export from the document editor |
| A note | Markdown, HTML, PDF, Word (.docx) or Filarr (.filarr) | Export Note in the note. See Version history and export |
| Several files | ZIP | Select them, then Download |
Recognize and search text
- Recognize text reads the text of images and PDF files: .png, .jpg, .jpeg, .webp, .bmp, .gif, .tif, .tiff, .avif and .pdf. Everything happens on your device. See Recognize text in images and PDFs.
- Search finds text inside Word files and text files once they have been previewed. In the desktop app, it also reads the first 50 pages of PDF files up to 50 MB, in the background. See Find anything.
Notes: formats you can import
| Where | Formats |
|---|---|
| Import Note | .md, .markdown, .html, .htm, .txt, .filarr, or a .json file holding a list of notes |
| Import from Obsidian, Notion, Evernote... (desktop app) | An Obsidian vault folder, or a Notion export as a ZIP file (HTML, or Markdown and CSV) |
Evernote files (.enex) cannot be imported yet, even though the menu mentions Evernote. See Import from Obsidian, Notion or Markdown.
Size limits
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Largest file you can add | 5 TB in the desktop app, 500 MB in the web app |
| Files in one drag and drop | 25 |
| File dragged from another program, in the desktop app, when Filarr cannot find where it lives on the disk | 500 MB. Save it to a folder first, then add it |
| File added to a shared vault | 500 MB |
| Preview that loads the whole file (images, text, Word, tables, e-books, archives other than ZIP) | 1 GB |
| Video, audio, and PDF or ZIP files over 1 GB (desktop app) | No limit: Filarr reads them in pieces |
A file protected by a password shows Protected file in the preview, with an Unlock button.