With mobile phones becoming a digital vault for all documents, files, and photos, an efficient file manager for your Android has become a must-have. While most Android devices include a default file manager, these apps often lack the features sought by both power users and casual users alike. That’s where my curated list can help.
After hours of testing, I’ve selected the best file manager apps for Android that streamline your storage space and help you find things quickly. Design, performance, functionality, security, compatibility, and other essential factors have been taken into consideration to decide the entries. You can go through the detailed descriptions, weigh the pros and cons, and then choose the best file manager that meets your needs!
1. Files by Google – Editor’s Choice
Based on my set of parameters, it’s only appropriate that I put Files by Google at the top of the list. The app offers a myriad of features and is one of the best file manager apps that you can download on your Android for free.
The smart app comes with a minimalist and user-friendly interface. You can quickly browse through, organize, and share your files and folders to keep your device clean and uncluttered. With its smart search function, you can find files by name, type, or date.
Additionally, Files by Google features offline sharing benefits, which allow you to share files and folders with nearby devices at high speed without needing the internet. Further, you can back up your files on Google Drive, access them from any device, and restore them if required.
Pros
- No ads
- Minimalist and friendly interface
- Offers offline sharing and a backup option
Cons
- No major cons were found
Price: Free
2. File Manager by Xiaomi – All-in-one file manager
File Manager by Xiaomi is a good choice if you’re looking for a clean and intuitive application that offers advanced features without burning a hole in your pocket. The all-in-one manager features a storage analyzer that scans your device and shows how much space different categories of files, such as images, videos, documents, or music, are consuming.
The app notifies you of duplicate images, which you can delete to save space. It also offers a built-in option to clear your Android phone’s cache.
Using the app’s FTP server, you can remotely access your phone’s files and folders from your desktop or laptop. This also helps transfer files between your phone and computer without a USB cable.
Further, I am impressed by how the developers have rendered the app to support multiple languages, themes, and gestures. Additionally, several other features, like Mi Drop, file compression, multiple file management, and multiple file format support, complement the app’s benefits list.
Pros
- Supports multiple languages, themes, and gestures
- Supports multiple file formats
- Has an efficient storage analyzer and FTP server feature.
Cons
- Occasionally takes time to load app data
Price: Free
3. File Manager by File Manager Plus – Powerful and professional file manager
File Manager+ by File Manager Plus has truly changed the way I look at storage management. From browsing through photos to accessing important documents, this app offers a seamless and powerful experience.
I loved how I could effortlessly explore files stored locally on my device, SD card, or USB drive and easily connect to popular cloud storage services like Google Drive and Dropbox.
What set this app apart are its additional features. The built-in text editor and image viewer were incredibly handy for quick edits and previews. Plus, the storage analysis tool helped me identify and clear out space.
Being optimized for Android TV is the cherry on top. It makes managing media on the big screen a breeze. Overall, File Manager+ could become your go-to solution for all your file management needs.
Pros
- Sleek and modern interface
- Cloud and remote/shared storage
- Built-in image viewer, text editor, and music player
Cons
- Consumes more battery and memory than other file managers
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99)
4. Cx File Explorer – Elegant and Efficient
Cx File Explorer is another powerful Android file manager I came across while researching, offering the perfect blend of elegance and efficiency. I adore the clean and intuitive interface that this app has to offer.
You can effortlessly move, copy, compress, browse, rename, extract, delete, create, and share files on the device’s external and internal storage.
Cx File Explordirect access and management of files stored in various cloud services, including Google Drive and Dropbox. Moreover, its advanced features, like NAS support and visualized storage analysis, add to the selling point of the application.
Pros
- Cloud storage integration
- Efficient storage cleanup
- Material design interface
Cons
- Doesn’t support all file types
Price: Free
5. File Manager by InShot – Offers built-in vault
If you’re looking for a file manager that offers vogue with security, File Manager by InShot is your best go! When I tried the app, I loved how it understood user’s need to protect their privacy in today’s world.
The app’s Vault is password and biometric fingerprint-protected to ensure authorized access only, which makes the app double up as an app to lock photos and videos.
The feature-rich app offers such adorable, colorful themes for personalization that I fell in love with them. The app supports almost all file formats and efficiently manages internal and external storage, including SD cards and USB OTG.
Pros
- Stylish and colorful themes
- Encrypts files in a secure file locker with password and fingerprint protect
- In-built file downloader
Cons
- Limited cloud integration
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $3.99)
6. ASTRO – Ultimate file manager for Android
ASTRO is yet another app that I am pretty impressed with. The seamless interface makes navigation through the app a breeze. Accessing and managing files on your device and your cloud storage accounts is simple and hassle-free.
ASTRO has so much to offer besides the basic features, like organizing, managing, cleaning, and browsing through files and folders. If you are looking for a file manager app that also adds up as a cleaner app for your Android device, ASTRO is your answer.
The app offers advanced security to your files. All the files, whether on your device or the cloud storage, would remain hidden to prevent unauthorized access. Just tap the eye icon, and the files will be invisible and safely stored within the app’s Vault. What makes it even better is that you can customize the Vault and hide it on your home screen!
ASTRO helps back up your apps on the SD card, and with it, you can restore the apps easily after factory resetting the device.
Pros
- No ads or in-app purchases
- Efficient Vault to hide folders
- Helps restore apps after factory resetting the device
Cons
- Asks for a lot of permissions
Price: Free
7. Owlfiles – The smart and versatile
Although this is a lesser-known file manager app that offers fewer features than any other app mentioned on this list, Owlfiles is something that I’d recommend trying.
The app is smooth and renders impressive features you cannot overlook. Aimed to enhance user experience, Owlfiles simplifies file organization with its streamlined file management capacity. You can access network shares on PC, Mac, and NAS via SMB protocol.
It supports various cloud services, including Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, and other S3-compatible storage. The built-in media player and image viewer ensured I didn’t need to switch to a different app to access my media files.
Pros
- Comprehensive file management and browsing
- Compatible with numerous cloud, remote, and shared storage
- Built-in media player
Cons
- Cluttered UI
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $2.99)
8. File Commander Manager and Vault – Secure and sophisticated
File Commander is another efficient Android file management app! The app seels security with sophistication. It offers a comprehensive solution for all your managing, storing, protecting, and browsing needs. With the app’s seamless navigation, take full control of all your files and folders.
Fully optimized for Android 14, the app serves as one of the best file manager apps the market has to offer for Android. File Commander offers 5GB of free storage space on Mobidrive. It is also compatible with various other cloud storage options and local area network (LAN) connections.
The app features efficient Vault to protect your privacy and secure your files using the Zero-knowledge encryption model. The Vault is protected with a password, PIN, and fingerprint for utmost security. Several other features, including efficient clutter cleaning and an in-built media player and image viewer, keep it at par, if not above other apps on the list.
Pros
- Vault with zero-knowledge encryption model
- Comprehensive file storage and management
Cons
- Some users found the UI cluttered
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99)
9. X-plore File Manager – Classic and Comprehensive
Next on the list, I have X-plore File Manager for you. The comprehensive file manager has various unique features to offer. The file manager renders a dual-pane interface, with which you can view and manage two different folders simultaneously. This feature comes in handy when dealing with a large number of files at a time.
The app’s efficient Disk map feature gives a clear idea of the apps that consume the most space on the disk. It has various built-in features, including an image viewer, music player, and PDF viewer, ensuring that you do not need to switch between applications to view these files.
On X-plore, you can see folder hierarchy in a tree view for clear orientation and fast switching to other locations. You can also hide internal memory from view while ensuring that you don’t mess with the system. Cloud storage, remote storage, SSH file transfer and shell, and WiFi file sharing are just a few of the other benefits.
Pros
- Dual-pane interface
- Tree view of folder hierarchy for clear orientation
Cons
- Requires paid version for basic features
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $1.70)
10. Solid Explorer File Manager – Modern and Minimalist
Another good file manager and explorer app that I find commendable for Android is Solid Explorer File Manager. It offers almost everything that the other apps feature and, sometimes, even more.
The app offers numerous catchy features like a dual-pane interface, NAS integration, and whatnot. If you are looking for a modern and minimalist app that meets all your needs from a file manager, Solid Explorer is the perfect fit.
The app ensures that your privacy is maintained and keeps all your files secure with strong AES encryption. It not only protects your files from prying eyes and unauthorized access but also keeps the content unreadable for other apps.
Pros
- Strong AES encryption
- Dual-pane interface
- Seamless NAS integration
Cons
- The dual-pane interface might be a bit overwhelming for new users
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99)
Make a choice costumed to your requirements
Choosing the best file manager app for Android can be a huge task. I hope this detailed guide has helped you find an app that perfectly suits your needs.
If you think another good file explorer and management app for Android could have been added to the list, comment below and let me know!
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