Hello everybody, This is Tanweer. Today I will guide you into a Android File Master from managing files on your phone to syncing folders with your computer or other devices including the best apps for managing files.
When you are dealing with files on your Android phone or tablet can be intimidating, especially since there are several file transfer standards and dozens of different interesting apps for file management.
Actually you know what unlike Windows, the Android Phone system doesn’t come with a built-in file management system. However, Most users don’t even need the file management system on Android anyway. Everything is managed for them and they can easily access apps in the app drawer and the media in the phone gallery. Although, some Phone manufacturers do add a file manager in their phones, but they are not as robust as third-party file managers and lack many features. Lets start with inbuilt feature of Android File Manager.
How to Access Android’s Built-In File Manager ?
Android got a native file manager in Android 6.0 Marshmallow or Higher. it’s just hidden away in the Settings. Follow the following steps.
Open [ Settings > Storage & memory ]. Here, and you’ll have a full list of all the files and folders on your internal storage. You should see a visual breakdown of your device’s storage into various categories like Apps, Images, Video, Audio, Cached data, etc.
To access the Android file manager, scroll down and tap [ Explore ]. Next Switch to the [ Storage ] tab. You should see various partitions such as internal storage, external storage(if your Android Phone supports SD card or USB OTG), and Google Drive etc. Here You can tap on a particular item to cut, copy, delete, share or perform any other file manipulation operations.
In Android 8.0 Oreo, Nougat the location of the file manager is little bit different. Open the [ Downloads ] app from the app drawer. Tap the [ three-dot ] overflow menu button and select [ Show internal storage ]. Here, you can manage your files and perform file manipulation operations such as cut, copy, delete, share, etc.
NOTE : Some manufacturers, like Samsung, include their own file managers with their modified version of Android.
Use File Managers App for Extra Functionality
If you want to do more than the most basic on-device file management, a third-party file manager App is the way to go. Fortunately, there’s a huge selection of file managers available in Google Play. Here are some of my favorite third-party file managers App for Android Phone.
1) Solid Explorer
This is one of the most popular file managers on the Google Play Store wrapped with the beautiful material design, and it’s super powerful features like cloud account access and the ability to run dual-pane setup side-by-side in landscape mode or any other device.
It’s also well-supported, receiving frequent updates with new features, rich customization options, and supports various network protocols like FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, etc.
Download: Solid Explorer (Pro version, 14-day free trial)
2) ES File Explorer
This is also one of the best you can find in the market and will let you completely tap into your Android phone’s system with a powerful set of features.
Once downloaded and launched, you will be able to see all the folders available on your Android phone include lots of extra features like remote file management using FTP.
Download: ES File Explorer (Free with ads, $2.99 for Pro)
Transferring Files Between Android Phone and Computer
The process of copying files to or from a Computer is easy. Lets start step by step.
Transfer Files With a USB Cable
Here you have to connect your Android device to a laptop or desktop computer using the appropriate USB cable. Unlock your device and tap the [ USB for notification ]. Select [ Transfer Files ]. A file transfer window should pop up on your computer or Laptop. You can now transfer files very easily.
NOTE : Older Android devices support USB mass storage for transferring files back and forth with a computer. Modern Android devices use the MTP or PTP protocols, you can choose which one you prefer. To select a USB connection protocol, open the [ Settings ], tap [ Storage ], tap the [ menu button ], and tap [ USB computer connection ]. You’ll also see the protocol your device is using as a notification when it’s connected to a computer via USB.
If you’re using a Mac Operating System, then Macs don’t include MTP support, Therefore you need to download and install Android File Transfer first. Then connect your phone by plugging it into your Mac. The app will automatically open. Unlock your Android device. You should be able to transfer files back and forth between your Mac and your Android device.
Transfer Files Using SD Card
If you have an SD card, you can remove the SD card from your Android device and insert it into an SD card slot into your computer to access the files.
NOTE : Assuming you’re using SD Card as portable storage and not formatted for internal use. The latter will not work on any device aside from the one it’s been formatted for use on.
Transfer Files Using Bluetooth
Bluetooth transfer is easy and it’s always nice to have a easy wireless option. You have to Start by [ pairing your Android device with your Computer ]. To transfer a file, you have to just hit the [ Share ] button inside any file manager app and select the paired computer from the list.
Transfer Files Using USB On-the-Go
Today’s mostly Android phones support USB On-The-Go. USB OTG lets your Android device read data from a USB connection without requiring a Computer. This essentially means that you can connect a USB flash drive or a portable hard drive directly to your Android phone and transfer files easily.
NOTE : Few Android Phone does not support USB OTG, To check that your device supports USB OTG, you can download this free app called USB OTG Checker. Alternatively, you can check the device specifications on the manufacturer’s website or Android Phone Manual.
Transfer Files Using AirDroid
For wireless file transfers, I like this Android App named as AirDroid. It allows you to connect to your Android device over Wi-Fi with just a web browser, moving files back and forth without the necessity of a cable.
Download: AirDroid for Android (Free) and AirDroid Desktop Client (Free)
After you sign up for a free account, you can easily transfer files to nearby devices and other registered devices. You can also transfer files remotely even when the devices aren’t connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
NOTE : For transferring files from Android to your Computer, There is another interesting Android App named as Portal is also a quick and easy solution.
Transfer Files Between Android Devices Using Files Go
Google launched an interesting Android App named as Files Go, its very own file manager app aimed at lower-end smartphones. Its main focus is to make storage management easier, but it also comes with a nifty feature to transfer files securely without the internet that is really very interesting.
To use Files Go, both the Android devices should have Files Go installed. To send a file, switch to the [ Files ] tab and tap on [ Send ]. If you’re using it for the first time, tap [ Allow ] to grant the required permissions and enable [ Allow modify system settings ]. Enter your name and tap [ Next ]. The setup is now complete.
Now Ask your friend or partner to open the app and tap [ Receive ]. It creates a secure Bluetooth connection to let you share files quickly and easily. It might take a while to transfer the file to the other device, depending on the file size.
Download: Files Go (Free)
Browse Your Files Remotely From Anywhere
This is really very interesting. Pushbullet provides an easy solution and platform. Pushbullet’s Remote Files feature lets you access your files remotely from anywhere. To get started, download Pushbullet and sign up for a free account.
You may prefer to Head over to Pushbullet’s support page for instructions on how to enable Remote Files.
Download: Pushbullet (Free)
Transfer Files From Android to iPhone Using ShareIT
To transfer files from Android to iPhone first you need to Download and install SHAREit on the both devices that you want to transfer files between. Connect the devices to the same WiFi network and open the SHAREit app on both side. It utilizes a feature called WiFi Direct for blazing fast transfer speeds.
Download: ShareIT for Android (Free) and ShareIT for iOS (Free)
NOTE : You can also use another Android App named as Send Anywhere to share files between Android and iOS devices.
Automatically Sync All Your Files Across Several Devices
This is complete Premium package. If you have some important files on your Android that you want to keep up-to-date always, across all your devices.
Resilio Sync lets you sync all your files and folder across your phone, computer, and NAS. Every time you make changes to a file, it instantly syncs the changes seamlessly across all your registered devices. It also features a proprietary file transfer service that the company claims skips the cloud and finds the shortest distance between devices.
Download: Resilio Sync ($59.99, business plans start at $29/mo)
Conclusion
The features above, and associated instructions are just to help you understand what file managers are and what power they hold. However, i have listed very interesting Android App, where you can do tons of other things that you can’t even think of right now.
If you have any queries and questions or would like to share a file manager feature that you use frequently, let us know in the comments. Thank You. Keep Smiling.
