Be able to view certain attachments in all apps without having to download it to the device.
PDF
JPG
PNG
GIF
etc
28 Likes
Indeed! The attachment functionality as it is currently implemented is not at all useful without the ability to view the file from within the app and its entry. Defeats the purpose of having attachments at all. Not sure about Android but iOS is saddled with this limitation, and it is a particularly buggy and cumbersome process. (Using an iPhone 7+ iOS 11.3)
3 Likes
The current browser implementation is that the user will download the attachments; the mobile implementation is that the user will choose to open the attachments in a different app. Neither of which is desirable becuase I often have to delete those sensitive files after my usage. And sometimes, when I have to download a lot of files, I forget or missed some files, which is a huge security hazard in my opinion.
As of this moment, I checked my download folder and it has my offer letters, driver’s license, visas and their DOWNLOAD DUPLICATES all over the place. I really wished I could have viewed them in the browser extension at the first place.
The desired solution would be viewing those attachments in the app/browser extension, and we are given an option to download and share.
8 Likes
Yes I do agree with above statements. Is has no use downloading the attachment. it has to be seen
2 Likes
I agree that it is a major security failure not to have an internal viewer for certain types of files (just like keepass has).
3 Likes
Yes, I agree with this request. I would also like to be able to view any readable text file, regardless of its extension.
This could be useful for config files, SSH public/private keys, scripts, etc.
1 Like
I have to use a key grid/table all the time… I would like to look at it without having to download and save it then open another app, scroll to find it, open it, then delete it, then delete it from my deleted save buffer. All this just to view a single grid key. Can you please do something about allowing us to view it without saving?
Also what about security? It would be preferable to have the viewed file removed from the cache on the device, after closing the view. I don’t want to have the grid keys be recoverable from the device’s cache.
1 Like
Totally agree with above and hope the feature is in the works. Migrating from LastPass and am overall very impressed and excited with Bitwarden, but this particular issue is a weakness. Used my first “vote” for this feature!
Yeah, that’s a pretty big deal. I went premium to support the developer - $10 is very reasonable - but also hoping for that feature so it was disappointing to find out that it doesn’t work as I expected.
1 Like
Too much file viewing functionality will come at the cost of security and reliability.
PDF in particular is too complicated and insecure a format to be safely embedded into a password manager.
It would be better to support longer secure notes and notes fields, and encourage users to insert plain text into such fields. These can be incrementally updated, while attachments can only be replaced in their entirety.
if longer notes are exported in some format other than as CSV variables, then their size limits could be made more generous.
I think a lot of people are wanting to store files securely into a password manager when they should really be using some other client-encrypted system like those provided by mega.nz, sync.com, pcloud.com, etc.
5 Likes
It would be safer to have a secure download folder used for downloading encrypted data. Once in a while shred, i.e., securely delete, all files in that folder.
Or you can have a download folder designated for temporary downloads. Once in a while shred everything in it. You will end up shredding non-secure data, which might take some time, but you can let that run in the background, so not much harm is done.
You would want to do this anyway even if Bitwarden allowed you to view attachments. Sooner or later you will need to temporarily store something (e.g., a CSV export from another password manager) that should be shredded and not merely deleted.
I would like to also vote for this feature.
There’s quite a few other pw manager app that allow this.
It is definitely a hassle to have to download an attachment to view and not efficient.
This app was meant to store secure data and part of it is ability to upload pic and notes to easily view within the app. It make no sense to have to download a attachment to view secure notes and other pic such as driver license, etc.
I hope this feature is under consideration by the developer of this already awesome password manager.
fortran77,
This is exactly what I do on my Android and even on linux/Chrome Browser. I only download to a specific folder and wipe said folder after using it. WIPE is not the same as delete folks!
Indeed!
I like to use the word “shred” because everybody understands “shred” to mean a destruction of something so people can’t recover any information. (And actually there is a common Linux program by that name.)
Also try Keybase. They are giving free 250 GB client-encrypted storage to new users while they are in beta-test.
Everybody use cases is different. It may not meet your needs but this basic feature request is not new. As I stated, other pw managers out there already allowing it. Downloading to a “folder” and then worry about wiping the data seems counterproductive to me. When you say ‘shredding/wipe’ I assume now you need another app to do such things. Everyone is not on Android if that is a native function on that platform. We need to be transparent on methods. It maybe easy to do what suggested while you using Bitwarden on the desktop/laptop, but I find myself using it more on my mobile. The data I typically attached in a pw manager is indeed related to some form of account info or security notes. There are instances where rather than typing every data into multiple fields, I just want to attached a small picture of it for quick view. I am not trying to store big files or pdf for that matter. Just small jpg, bmp, or gif files. Also, this is a client-side encryption/decryption app so if we already have the ability to attached a file, why can’t we just simply view it internally on the app vs download it outside the app to a unsecure place? I already have pcloud crypto, spideroak, etc. to store other files.
Hi
I would like to have like explained by Steven_Hook
The possibility , when the attachement is an image, the possibility to view the image.
I’ve matrix key cards for payments where I have to gave the F7 value
Downloading the image on the computer/phone, then go the the image viewer, then go back to the apps to enter the value, then delete the file is painfull 
I do agree about viewing attachments without downloading. Already more than a year waiting for it…
I too would love for this to be implemented. Especially on mobile. I’ve found that I’d like to store some PDFs of important files I have securely while also being easily accessible. Having to download each file to view it is a bit annoying. Sad to see it didn’t come with the latest Mobile app rewrite but maybe someday.