A school notice or company announcement arrives in a KakaoTalk chat as an HWP file while you are out. Your phone has no Hangul word processor. Here is how to open HWP files on a smartphone, for iPhone and for Galaxy (Android).
First: where is the file saved?
The most confusing part of opening attachments on a phone is finding the file.
Galaxy (Android)
- KakaoTalk: files downloaded from a chat usually go to "My Files > Internal storage > Download" or a "KakaoTalkDownload" folder.
- Mail apps: saved attachments go to the Download folder.
iPhone
- KakaoTalk: open the file, tap the share button and choose Save to Files so it appears in the Files app.
- Mail: press and hold the attachment and choose Save to Files.
Method 1. Open it right in the mobile browser
- Open the HWP Viewer in Chrome, Safari or Samsung Internet.
- Tap Choose files to open your phone's file picker.
- Pick the HWP file from the folder you found above.
- When the document opens, try the Quick text extraction tab. On a small screen, text is much easier to read than the page layout.
No app is needed, and because the file is not uploaded you can open documents with personal information without worry.
Method 2. Install an official mobile viewer app
If you receive HWP files often, installing Hancom's official mobile viewer or an office app is a good option. Once installed, it appears in the "Open with" list when you tap a file in KakaoTalk. Some apps show ads or require you to sign in for certain features.
Method 3. Preview in messenger or mail apps
Some messengers and mail services offer previews of attached documents. A preview is enough for a short notice, but documents with many tables may be cut off or not supported. Previews are also often generated on the service's server, so keep that in mind for sensitive files.
Common problems
The HWP file does not appear in the file picker
On iPhone, a file only appears in the Files app after you choose Save to Files. Open the file in KakaoTalk again and save it.
The text is too small
Instead of pinching to zoom in the page layout, use the text extraction tab. Text wraps automatically to the screen width.
I want to send the content to someone
After extracting the text, tap Copy and paste it into a KakaoTalk message. If it contains personal information, run it through the privacy masking tool first.
You can read HWP files on a phone without trouble. Once you know where the file is, the rest is simple.