There are situations when users need to open a “.bin” file on an Android smartphone. Initially, the smartphone system does not allow opening these files for viewing, since this is a set of executable commands for a computer. In this article, we will consider how you can view such a file on Android or from a computer.
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1 What is BIN format?
2 How do I open a .bin file on my phone?
2.1 Second way
3 Programs for viewing and editing BIN files
What is BIN format?
A bin file with the extension “.bin” at the end is a set of lines in binary format that consists of one or more commands. The content of the file is encoded into the usual text, but initially it is in binary format and consists of zeros and ones (0 and 1).
Please note that it can be dangerous to run these files, especially on computers. If you downloaded something from the Internet – the executable file may contain threats and viruses.
If you run such a file in Windows, the computer will execute in turn all the commands written inside. Usually it contains activation keys for programs, games, various “Cracks” and “Pills” for applications.
Therefore, if you are going to run such a file, you need to understand what it is in general and for what and from where you downloaded it.
How do I open a .bin file on my phone?
To see the contents of the file, you can try to open it in text format in a notepad on a PC or Android. If you only have a smartphone at hand. You will need to go to the file manager (you can use the built-in one in your smartphone):
- If you downloaded from the Internet, the file most likely lies in the “Downloads” or “Downloads” folder.
- Find the file in the smartphone’s memory and click “More” or the icon with three dots “…”.
- Then select “Open As” or “Open With” or “Open As Text” from the list. The item names may differ depending on your smartphone model.
- It will most likely NOT work to run this file directly on your smartphone. it will intend for the computer. But it is quite possible to view its contents.
Life hack: if you can’t open it through the file manager, you can rename the file. Change the extension “filename.bin” to “filename.txt”. We will get a text file that can be opened in any text editor and see its contents. Then change the extension .txt back to .bin.
Second way
If you can’t open BIN on a smartphone or it turns out to be problematic, you can use a computer. To do this, just transfer the file via USB cable to your PC. Can be copied to any disc or smartphone. Do not double-click the file! First, view its contents:
- Right click on the file.
- Hover over the “Open with” menu item.
- In the drop-down window, select the “Notepad” option.
Opening a BIN file on a computer
If you wanted to download game files or a disc image, you need a specialized program. There are no such programs for Android, but for a desktop PC, you can choose one from the list below:
- Alcohol 120%;
- Ultra ISO;
- Daemon Tools;
Programs for viewing and editing BIN files
If there is an urgent need to see the content from your smartphone, you can install a free program for viewing and editing BIN content. On Google Play, just type “Bin editor” in the search box, then download and install any program. You can use the universal ISO Converter Extractor or the dedicated BIN Opener utility.
For most programs, you will need to enable USB debugging in the smartphone settings according to the documentation.
