Access files on a phone, one question at a time

How to open them, why some won’t, and how to get the data out — written by the developer of Keyfield. Where a job needs Access on a PC, the guide says so.

Start here

• How to open an ACCDB file on AndroidWhy the phone can’t, the steps that work, and what to do when it still won’t open.
• ACCDB vs MDB: what’s the difference?Which Access versions made each, what .accdb added, and what .mdb kept.

When a file won’t open

• Access database won’t open on your phone? Five reasonsNo app, Access 2010+ encryption, the wrong file, a broken download, or a linked table.
• Password-protected Access databases on AndroidThree kinds of password: one opens free, one with the password, one not yet.
• What is a linked table in Access?Why a table is listed but empty, where its rows really are, and what to ask for.
• How to open an Access 97 MDB file todayCurrent Access won’t. Convert it with an older Access, or read it on your phone.

Getting the data out

• Export an Access table to Excel on your phoneThe whole table or only your filtered rows, and the Excel, CSV and PDF limits.
• How to read Access queries without Microsoft AccessWhere the SQL lives, and how to read select, crosstab and action queries.
• Access attachment fields: how to get the files outWhat the field holds, and how to see and save the files on a PC or a phone.

Comparisons

• Access database viewer apps for Android, comparedKeyfield, Km4Dev’s viewer and MDB Viewer, including where the other two are better.

Keyfield: Access database viewer

Open .accdb and .mdb files from Access 97 to 2019 on your phone and read every table, the saved queries and the relationships. Viewing is free; no account, no ads.