Guide
How to open a DICOM scan from a Google Drive, Dropbox or WeTransfer link
Copy the share link, open Ossidex on your iPhone or iPad, tap + and paste it. Ossidex resolves Google Drive (files and folders), Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Drive shared files, WeTransfer, Yandex Disk, Mail.ru Cloud and direct download links to the real file, downloads it, unpacks archives and opens the study. This guide walks through the steps and fixes; the product details — provider list, resume and limits — are on cloud-link import.
Supported link types
| Service | Supported | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Google Drive | Yes | Single files and shared folders |
| Dropbox | Yes | Files and folders shared by link |
| OneDrive / SharePoint | Yes | Personal and business share links |
| iCloud Drive | Yes | Shared files and Mail Drop; shared folders are not supported |
| WeTransfer | Yes | wetransfer.com and we.tl links |
| Yandex Disk | Yes | Public links |
| Mail.ru Cloud | Yes | Files, and folders as a ZIP |
| Direct URL to a file | Yes | Any https link that downloads a ZIP or DICOM file |
| MEGA | No | Recognised, but not supported — download on a computer first |
| Telegram links | No | Recognised, but not supported — save the file to Files from Telegram instead |
Step by step
- Copy the link. Long-press the link in the email or message and choose Copy.
- Paste in Ossidex. Open Ossidex, tap +, choose the link option and paste.
- Wait for the download. Progress is shown; large studies can take a while on mobile data. Interrupted downloads resume automatically when possible.
- Open the study. Archives are unpacked and every series is listed. Tap to view.
When a link does not work
Some imaging portals send a link to a web page with their own online viewer, not to the files. Ossidex detects that the link returns an HTML page instead of a download and tells you. In that case look for a “Download” or “Download DICOM” button on the portal, or ask the clinic for a direct download link or a ZIP in a cloud folder.
- Access denied — the link is restricted to specific accounts. Ask the sender to set it to “anyone with the link”.
- Link expired — WeTransfer and some portals expire links after a few days. Ask for a new one.
- Password-protected ZIP — Ossidex asks for the password when the archive is really encrypted.
Asking a clinic to send a scan
If you are requesting a study, ask for: “the full DICOM study as a ZIP, shared as a Google Drive, Dropbox or WeTransfer link”. That avoids discs entirely and works on any device.
Privacy
The download goes straight from the storage service to your device. Scans are opened and processed on your iPhone or iPad. There is no account, and your images are not uploaded to Ossidex servers.
Link forms by provider
| Provider | Typical link | What works | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Drive | drive.google.com/file/d/…, drive.google.com/drive/folders/… | Single files and whole shared folders | Sharing must be “Anyone with the link”; a folder imports as one study |
| Dropbox | dropbox.com/s/…, dropbox.com/scl/fi/…, /scl/fo/… | Files and folders | No need to change dl=0 to dl=1 — Ossidex handles it |
| OneDrive / SharePoint | 1drv.ms/…, onedrive.live.com/…, …sharepoint.com/:u:/… | Shared files | Links that require a work sign-in cannot be downloaded |
| iCloud Drive | icloud.com/iclouddrive/…, Mail Drop links | Shared files and Mail Drop | Shared iCloud folders are not supported — share a ZIP instead |
| WeTransfer | wetransfer.com/downloads/…, we.tl/… | Transfers, including short links | Transfers expire (usually after a few days) — import promptly |
| Yandex Disk | disk.yandex.ru/d/…, yadi.sk/… | Files and folders | |
| Mail.ru Cloud | cloud.mail.ru/public/… | Files and folders (folders arrive as a ZIP) | |
| Direct URL | Any link that starts a download | Any file type Ossidex opens | Must return the file itself, not a web page |
| MEGA, Telegram | mega.nz/…, t.me/… | Recognised, not supported | Download in the MEGA or Telegram app, save to Files, then import |
What happens during the download
Ossidex first resolves the share link to the real file or folder, then downloads it straight to your device and shows progress as it goes. If the connection drops, it reconnects and resumes the download up to three times instead of starting from zero; you can also pause and resume it yourself. When the download finishes, archives are unpacked, archives inside archives too, and the study is grouped by patient and series.
If the link opens a web page instead of a file — typical of hospital patient portals that embed their own viewer — Ossidex stops and explains that the page is a viewer, not a download. In that case, look for a “Download”, “Export” or “DICOM” button on the portal, or ask the clinic for a Drive, Dropbox or WeTransfer link.
Large studies on mobile data
A dental CBCT is typically 100–500 MB; a full CT or MRI study can exceed 1 GB. On mobile data, check your plan before importing, or wait for Wi-Fi. Make sure the device has free space of roughly twice the archive size while it is being unpacked; the temporary copy is removed afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install Google Drive or Dropbox?
No. Paste the link in Ossidex; it downloads the file itself.
How do I open a DICOM folder shared on Google Drive?
Paste the folder link into Ossidex. Shared Google Drive folders are downloaded as a whole and imported as one study, as long as the folder is shared with “Anyone with the link”.
Does the link have to be public?
It must be accessible to anyone with the link, because Ossidex does not sign in to your cloud account.
Can I use mobile data?
Yes, but CBCT and multi-series studies can be hundreds of megabytes. Wi-Fi is faster and cheaper.
Related pages
Cloud-link import: providers and limits
Which share links Ossidex imports — Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Drive, WeTransfer, Yandex Disk, Mail.ru — how downloads resume, what won’t work.
Open DICOM in ZIP, RAR, 7z or ISO archives on iPhone and iPad
Ossidex unpacks DICOM studies from ZIP, RAR (incl. multi-volume), 7z, TAR/GZ and ISO disc images — including password-protected archives — on iPhone and iPad.
Study won’t open: fixes
Fixes for DICOM studies that will not open: incomplete downloads, only the viewer copied, proprietary files, password archives, portal links, memory.
Patients
Got a CD or link with your scan? View it at home, privately.