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How to open .BKM files on Android

To open .BKM files on Android, android does not commonly support BizHawk movie playback; transfer the .BKM to a desktop system with BizHawk, or open it only for viewing in a text-capable app (UTF-8).

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Android does not commonly support BizHawk movie playback; transfer the .BKM to a desktop system with BizHawk, or open it only for viewing in a text-capable app (UTF-8).

Alternative methods

  • Open .BKM in a browser-based viewer if desktop apps fail.
  • Try opening .BKM on Android with a secondary app to rule out app-specific issues.
  • Convert .BKM only with trusted tools when direct opening is not possible.

Common issues

The .BKM file won’t open or play back in BizHawk

.BKM is a legacy movie format and may not be the expected format for your current BizHawk workflow (which uses .BK2 in newer versions). Playback can also fail if the movie depends on a specific core/game setup.

  1. Verify the file is a BizHawk movie (.BKM) and not a different unrelated format using the same extension.
  2. Try loading the movie in BizHawk using the movie open/playback feature; if you’re using a setup that expects .BK2, obtain a .BK2 version or use a BizHawk configuration that supports legacy .BKM handling.
  3. Ensure you have the correct game/ROM and compatible emulator core settings expected by the movie.

The file opens as “garbled text” or with wrong characters

The .BKM format is documented as UTF-8 text; opening it with the wrong encoding can make it look corrupted.

  1. Open the file in a text editor that lets you choose encoding and select UTF-8.
  2. Avoid saving the file in a different encoding if you plan to use it again in BizHawk.

Accidental edits break the movie

Because .BKM is structured text, small changes can invalidate expected fields or input log formatting and stop a movie from replaying correctly.

  1. Restore the original from a backup or re-download the file from its source.
  2. If you must edit, make a copy first and follow the documented field/log structure for .BKM.

Security note

.BKM is a text-based format, not an executable, but treat it as untrusted input: opening it in an emulator still means parsing external data, which can expose you to bugs in the parser.

Back to .BKM extension page