3791728 - Workflow Attachment Opens as Download Instead of Online Preview on Mobile in SAP SuccessFactors

When accessing SAP SuccessFactors on a mobile device and clicking the blue hyperlink of a workflow attachment, the attachment is downloaded instead of being previewed online. This behavior is observed when using a mobile browser.

• Expected behavior: The attachment opens for online preview within the browser.
• Actual behavior: The attachment is downloaded, or cannot be previewed.

SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central

1. Log in to SAP SuccessFactors using a mobile browser. 
2. Navigate to a pending approval workflow that contains one or more attachments.
3. Open the workflow detail page.
4. Click the blue hyperlink of an attachment.
5. Result: The attachment is downloaded instead of being displayed as an online preview. 

The behavior when clicking the blue hyperlink of an attachment (download / online preview) varies across different client environments:

The root cause of this difference is that the way an attachment opens depends on the capabilities of the client environment itself (browser / app / operating system), and is not something that the SuccessFactors system can control.

• iOS Safari has system-level document preview capabilities, and therefore provides the "Display / Download" options.
• Third-party browsers such as Edge have not integrated the corresponding preview functionality on mobile devices, and therefore follow the default download process.

Accordingly, the differences in how attachments open across various devices are caused by differences in the client environment (browser / app / operating system). This is normal, expected behavior and does not indicate a system defect.

1. To achieve a consistent online preview experience across all devices, we recommend using the SuccessFactors official mobile app.
2. On iPhone, using Safari browser is an alternative, as it supports both "Display" and "Download" options.
3. Since attachment open behavior is determined by the client environment (browser / app / operating system), this cannot be controlled or modified through SuccessFactors system configuration. No system-side fix is available.

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