# Reading text files from device **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions about Thunkable X\ **Created:** [May 12, 2019, 7:14pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/reading-text-files-from-device/76208 "2019-05-12T19:14:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DarSinbad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@DarSinbad](https://community.thunkable.com/u/DarSinbad)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2019, 7:14pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/reading-text-files-from-device/76208/1 "2019-05-12T19:14:56Z")
Hi there, I know that there was a “file” component in the storage category, but apparently it is gone now!! So, how can I read text files from the device? in there a new component that can do that? I cant find one. (Secondary request) Also, if there is a way to browse the files from within the app rather than typing a constant path to the needed file (as it was in the “ReadFrom” block from the previous “file” component), that would be much appreciated. Thank you and have a nice day. P.S. I did try to find an answer (for thunkable not app inventor) for this problem with no luck, if there are previous answers I would appreciate the link to them. ---
**Author:** ![joannietw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/joannietw/32/30139_2.png) [@joannietw](https://community.thunkable.com/u/joannietw)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2019, 3:22am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/reading-text-files-from-device/76208/2 "2019-05-13T03:22:30Z")
Hi @DarSinbad, Do you consider to use Thunkable X to create your app? In Thunkable X version, you can use .csv format to read the text. Please check this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzY0Up-at6I) for further information. -Joannie ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Mathijssen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/peter_mathijssen/32/7493_2.png) [@Peter\_Mathijssen](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Peter_Mathijssen)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2019, 5:08am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/reading-text-files-from-device/76208/3 "2019-05-13T05:08:56Z")
The file component is still there for me ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/thunkable/original/3X/c/3/c38d3fdd43f419c7989b06cb3b92ce01f772ddbc.png) ---
**Author:** ![DarSinbad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@DarSinbad](https://community.thunkable.com/u/DarSinbad)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2019, 6:13pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/reading-text-files-from-device/76208/4 "2019-05-13T18:13:47Z")
![data](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/thunkable/original/3X/9/1/9150028372b714b2c50547cf268b155d26d62c5e.jpeg) It is not there for me ---
**Author:** ![Conor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@Conor](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Conor)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2019, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/reading-text-files-from-device/76208/5 "2019-05-13T18:15:45Z")
Ah. You’re using Thunkable X. The File components you’re looking for is only available in Thunkable Classic at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![DarSinbad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@DarSinbad](https://community.thunkable.com/u/DarSinbad)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2019, 8:16pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/reading-text-files-from-device/76208/6 "2019-05-13T20:16:53Z")
Thank you Conor for clearing that out 🙂 Ok so I need to use the cross platform version, Joannie said that I can read .csv files. but I still dont know how to do that. The video she provided is still using the file coomponent. I there any way to read characters from any type of external files in thunkable x apps? ---
**Author:** ![joannietw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/joannietw/32/30139_2.png) [@joannietw](https://community.thunkable.com/u/joannietw)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 3:17am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/reading-text-files-from-device/76208/7 "2019-05-14T03:17:37Z")
@DarSinbad or you can just the [List](https://docs.thunkable.com/lists) to simplely store the string 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![actech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@actech](https://community.thunkable.com/u/actech)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 7:26am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/reading-text-files-from-device/76208/8 "2019-05-14T07:26:21Z")
Hi, You can see an example of selecting files on iOS on the scrFileViewer screen from the project [https://x.thunkable.com/projects/5cd84f23e3097f3353fdad45/project/properties/designer/](https://x.thunkable.com/projects/5cd84f23e3097f3353fdad45/project/properties/designer/) This method allows you to see photos, html, txt, etc. That’s only on Android, this method, unfortunately, does not work for some strange reason. ---
**Author:** ![DarSinbad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@DarSinbad](https://community.thunkable.com/u/DarSinbad)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 10:50pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/reading-text-files-from-device/76208/9 "2019-05-14T22:50:07Z")
I appreciate the help, Thank you 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![itmanager](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/edb3f5/32.png) [@itmanager](https://community.thunkable.com/u/itmanager)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2019, 1:42pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/reading-text-files-from-device/76208/10 "2019-11-09T13:42:35Z")
> [@Conor](#): > > Ah. You’re using Thunkable X. The File components you’re looking for is only available in Thunkable Classic at the moment. ??? But this is the Thunkable X forum… > [@Conor](#): > > or you can just the [List](https://docs.thunkable.com/lists) to simplely store the string 🙂 But using a List does not replace reading/writing files. ---
**Author:** ![Conor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@Conor](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Conor)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2019, 1:54pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/reading-text-files-from-device/76208/11 "2019-11-09T13:54:51Z")
> [@itmanager](#): > > But this is the Thunkable X forum… This thread is 6 months old. It was originally posted in the Thunkable Classic category. ---
**Author:** ![ioannis](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/ioannis/32/146956_2.png) [@ioannis](https://community.thunkable.com/u/ioannis)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 12:08pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/reading-text-files-from-device/76208/12 "2024-11-08T12:08:21Z")
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**Author:** ![matt\_conroy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/matt_conroy/32/150843_2.png) [@matt\_conroy](https://community.thunkable.com/u/matt_conroy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2024, 5:02pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/reading-text-files-from-device/76208/13 "2024-12-19T17:02:30Z")