Check a File Fingerprint on an Android Phone
You can check a downloaded file right on your phone, in Chrome, before you tap install. Choose the file in the tool above, paste the fingerprint the publisher printed and read the badge. The file never leaves your phone.
Check first, install second
When an app file finishes downloading, your phone usually offers to open it, and opening it starts the install. Leave it for now. The order is download, check, then decide. A file you have not opened can be deleted at no cost, while an installed app takes more steps to undo.
You need three things: the file, the fingerprint its publisher printed, and Chrome. No extra app is needed, and another browser should work the same way, though its menus will differ. Reading the file happens on the phone, so it does not use mobile data.
The steps in Chrome
- Open this page in Chrome and scroll up to the tool above this text.
- Under Choose the file, tap Choose file. A file picker opens. On some phones it first asks which app to use, and you can pick Files or your phone maker’s file manager.
- Open the picker’s menu and tap Downloads, then tap your file. Pickers differ between phones, so if you cannot see Downloads, look for Recent or browse your phone’s storage.
- Wait while the tool reads the file. It shows “Reading the file and working out its fingerprint…”, then the file’s name and size and its fingerprint in eight blocks.
- Tap the second box, press and hold, and choose Paste to add the fingerprint the publisher printed. Paste it as it is.
- Read the coloured badge. The table on the main tool page says what each one means.
A web page can read only the file you choose, not the rest of your storage.
Finding a file you have downloaded
Chrome saves downloads in your phone’s default download location, usually the Downloads folder. Chrome’s help page on downloads names two ways to see them. In Chrome, tap the three dots at the top right, then Downloads. If your address bar sits at the bottom, swipe up on it and tap Downloads. Or open the Files app, which lists everything on the phone.
A file sent to you in a chat app is often kept in that app’s own folder, so look for it in the Files app. A file that arrives in a chat usually comes with no fingerprint from a publisher, so there is nothing to compare. The tool will show a number and nothing more.
When something goes wrong
| What you see | What it may mean | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Your file is not in the picker | It is in another folder, such as a chat app’s folder or on an SD card | Open the picker’s menu and browse your phone’s storage |
| “Reading the file and working out its fingerprint…” stays on screen | A big file and little free memory on the phone | Close other tabs and apps, wait a little, then try again |
| “That file is too large for a browser to read in one go” | The file is over about 1.5 GB | Use a computer: the commands |
| “The browser could not read that file” | The file was moved or deleted, or Chrome lost access to it | Choose the file again, or download it again |
| Not a fingerprint | Part of the value was lost when you copied it, or it is not a SHA-256 value | Copy the whole value again and paste it |
The browser holds the whole file in memory, so a big file is a likely cause of a stall. Many app files are far smaller than the limit. If you already use Termux, a terminal app for Android, you can run sha256sum there. We do not suggest installing it just for this: it needs permission to read your files, and the browser tool does the same job.
If the result is a mismatch, or there is nothing to compare
Does not match. This is not the file that fingerprint was printed for. It may have been changed, damaged in the download, or be a different version. Do not tap Install, and if Android offers to open the file, go back.
- Delete the file. In Chrome, tap the three dots, then Downloads, select the file and choose Delete. Or open the Files app, go to Downloads, press and hold the file and delete it.
- If you still want it, download it once more from the same place and check again.
- If it does not match a second time, stop. Do not look for a “fixed” copy elsewhere. Using the website without an app file is the safer route.
Nothing to compare. You have a fingerprint with nothing to hold it against, so treat the file as unchecked. You can delete it the same way, or find out who publishes it and ask for a SHA-256 value.
What this check cannot tell you
A match shows that your file is the one the fingerprint was printed for. It does not show that the publisher is trustworthy or that the app is harmless, and we cannot see inside any app or platform. Before you install anything, read what it asks for in permissions to refuse, and check how the link reached you with the link checker. For the bigger picture on app files, see App and APK.
Common questions
Do I need to install a hash checker app on my phone?
No. Chrome does the work with the tool on this page, and nothing extra is installed. A web page can read only the file you choose, while an app may ask for wide access to your files.
Does checking a file use my mobile data?
Loading the page uses data, as any page does. Reading your file and working out its fingerprint happens on the phone, and the file is never uploaded.
Where does Chrome keep the files I download?
In your phone’s default download location, usually the Downloads folder. Open Chrome’s menu and tap Downloads to see the list, or open the Files app to see everything on the phone.
Can I check a file that someone sent me on WhatsApp or Telegram?
You can work out its fingerprint the same way, but a chat gives you no fingerprint from a publisher to compare it with. The result is only a number, so treat a file from a chat as unchecked.
What should I do with a file that does not match?
Do not install it. Delete it from Chrome’s Downloads list or the Files app, and download it once more from the same place if you still want it. If it fails again, stop and use the website instead of a file.