Pixelbook is compatible with a wide range of file types, although some files might require you to download specific apps in order to use them.
Note: If you're using your Pixelbook at work or school, some devices or files may be restricted by your organization. For more help, contact your administrator.
Supported file types
Files can be identified by their file extension. Every type of file has a file extension, which helps both you and your device determine how to open it.
Our supported file types are:
- Compressed files: .zip, .rar
- Images: .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .webp
- Media: .3gp, .avi, .mov, .mp4, .m4v, .m4a, .mp3, .mkv, .ogv, .ogm, .ogg, .oga, .webm, .wav
- Microsoft Office files*: .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt (read-only), .pptx (read-only)
- Other: .txt, .pdf (read-only)
*For more information on viewing and editing Office files, see Related articles, below.
Troubleshoot file issues
Why do I get an "Unknown file type" error message when I try to open a file?This error means that this file type isn't working on your device at this time. Instead, try saving the file to Google Drive or another web application, and then opening it in your browser.
Media files use specific encoding systems called codecs. Even if a file has a supported file extension (e.g., .mp4), there may still be issues playing back the file if it was encoded with an incompatible codec.
Our supported codecs are:
| File Extension | Video Codec | Audio Codec |
|---|---|---|
| .ogv | Theora | N/A |
| .webm |
VP8 VP9 |
Opus Vorbis |
| .mp4 |
H264 MPEG4 |
N/A |
| .mov |
H264 MPEG4 |
N/A |
| .avi |
MPEG4 DIVX XVID |
MP3 |
| .3gp |
H264 MPEG4 |
AAC AMR-NB |