Supported file types and external devices

• Microsoft Office files: .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt (read-only), .pptx (read-only). Learn more about viewing and editing Office documents.
• Media: .3gp, .avi, .mov, .mp4, .m4v, .m4a, .mp3, .mkv, .ogv, .ogm, .ogg, .oga, .webm, .wav
• Images: .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .webp
• Compressed files: .zip, .rar
• Other: .txt, .pdf (read-only)

You can access files on external devices connected to your Chromebook if they use the following types of filesystems:

• Ext2
• Ext3
• Ext4
• MTP (read-only)
• FAT
• HFS+ (read-only on journaled HFS+)
• ISO9660 (read-only)
• NTFS
• UDF (read-only)

• USB hard drives and thumb drives
• USB CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives (read-only)

• MTP devices (read-only)
• USB keyboards (Windows and Mac)
• USB mice with the following features: left button, right button, scrollwheel
• USB hubs
• Certain Bluetooth devices
• Monitors with DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, or VGA connections
• USB, DisplayPort, and HDMI audio devices
• Headset with a 3.5 mm jack
• Webcam with a USB cable
• MP3 player or mobile phone with a USB cable (can be used for charging)

The "Unknown file type" error message means that the file format isn't supported on your Chromebook at this time. As a workaround, try using a web application to view the file. For example, you can upload most documents, presentations, and spreadsheets to Google Drive and view them in your browser.

To identify the filesystem for your external device, consult the help manual for that device.

If a peripheral doesn't work with your Chromebook, it may not be supported at this time.