1. A method comprising: sending, from a mobile client device, a request to preview a file uploaded to a cloud-based collaboration platform, the uploaded file having a source format, the mobile client device having a touch screen interface; receiving, at the mobile client device, preview information for accessing and manipulating a preview of the uploaded file, the preview information including: a scheme to access one or more intermediate file segments of the uploaded file: wherein the intermediate file segments are intermediate byproducts of a conversion of the file from the source format to a target format; and information identifying the source format of the file; accessing the one or more file intermediate segments of the uploaded file using the scheme; and displaying, at the mobile client device, the accessed file segments on a touch screen of the mobile client device, the displayed segments being responsive to swiping actions determined based on the source format; identifying a swiping action at the touch screen interface of the mobile client device; interpreting the swiping action at the mobile client device to identify an instruction based on the received information identifying the source format; and performing, at the mobile client device, the instruction.