The file manager is a must-have app for users who frequently share or download pictures, videos, and APKs. If users don’t manage the downloaded files, the phone will become a mess. The default file management app in the older version of the Android OS is suitable for basic tasks. The stock Android file manager in the latest edition of the Android OS is powerful. It lets you manage files on the internal store memory, MicroSD card, Google Drive, etc, and enables users to find files by name and sort files by name, size, type, date. The app provides an option to compress folders. It supports batch tasks. Although the application is powerful, it doesn’t support wireless file transfer or other cloud platforms. If your phone manufacturer is not rolling out Android updates or if you’re using the latest Android OS and you’re not happy with the stock Android file manager, use one of the following apps on your mobile device:
7 best file manager for Android
X-plore File Explorer
X-plore is one of the most downloaded file manager apps on the Google Play Store. It was launched in 2014/2015 and has 10+ million users. Unlike the stock Android app, X-plore enables you to manage files on OneDrive, Amazon S3, Dropbox, Box, etc. X-plore allows you to transfer images, videos, PDFs, documents, archives, etc from the mobile device to a remote PC. It lets users preview files and videos before moving them to another location.
X-plore can generate ZIP archives from folders. It supports wireless file transfers over Bluetooth and WiFi connection. The app supports the SSH/SFTP protocol, DLNA, etc, and has a Hex Viewer tool, Recycle bin/batch renamer/vault utility, etc. X-Plore supports customization. It allows you to see the content of the SQLite database files.
Total Commander
Although X-plore provides several features, its FTP module is useful only for the developers and users who own a PC. Furthermore, some users may never transfer files over a BT connection or backup mobile phone data to a cloud service. Total Commander is an excellent alternative to ESF. Instead of bloating it with several features, the developer has made a smart move by adding a plugin system to Total Commander. TC gives users the freedom to disable the features they don’t want to use. It includes an option to disable icons and manage file permissions. The Total Commander file manager for Android doesn’t have in-app purchases and advertisements.
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MK Explorer
MK Explorer is a material design-based lightweight file manager for Android devices. It has a built-in music player, a gallery utility, and a file finder tool. MK supports 15+ languages, nine keyboard shortcuts, and user interface customization. It can compress and decompress files. This Android file manager app doesn’t support cloud services and wireless file transfer operations. You can configure it to display hidden folders, images, APKs, PDFs, and root directory. MKE can hide application icons from its interface and display image/video thumbnails when you’re exploring a directory. It is a must-have app for users searching for a simple tool to manage files on the MicroSD card or the phone’s internal storage memory.
Astro
Astro has a beautiful interface and many features. It can backup your files to the MicroSD card. It helps you free up storage memory by removing apps that you’re not using. Astro allows users to upload or download files over an SFTP/FTP connection. It supports Google Drive, Box, DropBox, and OneDrive cloud storage services. The Astro file manager for Android provides a tabbed interface for managing files and folders. The files it displays are sorted by their size.
The app displays storage memory usage in each tab. Below the storage usage details, Astro displays the list of files. By default, Astro will try to locate files on the ROM, MicroSD, and storage memory of connected networks. You can configure this application to ignore specific locations while searching for files. You can sort files by their name and modification date. To improve the performance of its search utility, Astro creates an index of the files saved on the phone. The index is updated in real-time.
Xiaomi File Manager
Xiaomi’s file manager app for Android has the best rating among the applications I’ve covered here. It has intuitive UI and beautiful animations. XFM allows you to see the files created/saved recently by apps installed on your mobile device. XFM lets users bulk cut, copy, and paste files. It has a search tool that displays search results in real-time. The app has a video and music player built-in. It also enables you to remove junk files from the phone. XFM supports several languages. It is an ad-free application.
Google Files Go
Google Files Go is a three in one app. It not only helps users manage files but also allows them to get rid of junk data and share images, APKs, videos with people nearby them. GFG has a tabbed interface. As in Share IT, you can share files with people nearby you with it. To use this feature, you must create a virtual hotspot and ask your friend to connect his device to this hotspot. Google Files Go supports batch tasks, and it lacks ads. It is one of the best file management apps for Android.
Asus File Manager
Asus File Manager for Android ships with a recycle bin utility. Hence, you can restore the deleted files in the future. AFM lets users hide files in a password-protected vault. It remembers the user’s search history. It also enables users to search for files by voice. The app’s main interface is customizable. You can add new options/items to the interface or remove the items you don’t want to see. AFM’s most important feature is its storage analyzer tool that makes you aware of large and duplicate videos/images on the phone. It supports dark mode. The Asus File Manager is not available on the Play Store anymore. Here are the three great alternatives to Asus’s app:
