A file manager, or file explorer, is one of the most useful tools you can have on your Android phone or tablet. Most manufacturers ship their Android devices with a built-in file manager these days, but it's usually just a bare-bones application that's not suitable for power users who deal with a large amount of data. Thankfully, there are a lot of third-party file managers on the Google Play Store that can get the job done.
The best file manager apps for Android will not only allow you to organize your files and folders with basic functions, but they'll also come with advanced features such as a built-in cleaning function or the ability to let you connect to cloud storage services.
1 Files by Google
Files by Google has come a long way since its modest beginnings in 2017. It's now a full-fledged file manager with some useful extras. Compared to other file managers, Files by Google has a very simple and intuitive UI, making it a great choice for non-tech-savvy users. It also takes up less than 1MB of space on your phone, so it's perfect for those who are using a relatively old phone with less storage.
You can manage files and folders both by diving into the internal storage or by navigating through the content categories. The most used file management basics are present, but you won't get other features, like the ability to compress files. But you do get a Safe Folder where you can store your sensitive files, which can be locked using a PIN or pattern. Additionally, the app helps you clean up your phone by suggesting things to delete, which has been present since day one. One of our favorite features is the built-in file sharing, which lets you share with other Files by Google users over Wi-Fi, which won't use mobile data. Overall, it is one of the simplest and easy-to-use file managers around.
2 Amaze File Manager
The Amaze File Manager is an open-source file manager that is based on Material Design guidelines, so it looks clean and packs all the file management tools you need. The app is also free of ads, and you get all the features without any Pro version. You can, however, donate to the developers if you'd like to support them.
In terms of the features, you get tabbed browsing, which lets you work on multiple tabs at the same time. Standard features include a built-in app manager, root access, support for file encryption, and support for cloud storage services. The Amaze File Manager also offers an APK reader, a database reader, and a text viewer.
More functionality can be unlocked using the Amaze Utilities plug-in, which lets you identify junk files for easy clean-up. You can also group images by memes, group photos, selfies, and low-light; group screenshots, voice recordings, and old downloads; play music and video files using the built-in media player; and share files offline to other devices over Wi-Fi Direct. But unlike the Amaze File Manager app, the plug-in isn't completely free. It has a 15-day free trial followed by an in-app purchase.
3 FX File Explorer
FX File Explorer has been around since the early days of Android and is one of the most feature-packed file explorers on the Play Store. The main pitch of the app is that it's a privacy-oriented file manager that claims to include no ads, no analytics, and no trackers. It also follows the Material Design guidelines. There are a ton of features in the app, including all major file management tools and support for dual-pane view. It also comes with a text editor, shell script executor, and encryption support.
One of the most interesting features is Web Access, which lets you drag and drop entire folders from your PC to your phone and even stream your music playlist to your computer. You can get access to more features, including support for major cloud storage services and network access with support for FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, and SMB, by purchasing the FX+ add-on module. It will also bring FX Connect to transfer files between devices using Wi-Fi Direct and web access.
The FX File Explorer is free to download and use, but as mentioned, you'll need the paid FX+ module for some features.
4 Solid Explorer
Solid Explorer has a large fan following, and it's easy to see why. It has a beautiful Material design that we really like, and there are tons of customization and theme options to personalize the interface to your liking.
It also has everything you might need from a file manager. The dual-pane layout makes it easier to organize and access files. The file manager can also protect your sensitive files and folders with strong AES encryption and store them in a secure folder. There's also a dedicated storage analyzer that lets you quickly identify files and folders that take up the most storage space. All standard features, such as copy and paste, cut, batch rename, compress/decompress, extract, etc., are supported. Meanwhile, the built-in trash bin makes it easier to recover accidentally deleted files.
Additionally, the app supports major cloud storage services and protocols such as FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, and SMB and lets you stream media to Cast-enabled devices. It can even turn your phone into an FTP server so that you can access the files on your PC.
Solid Explorer is free to download and use with ads; however, you can use in-app purchases to remove ads.
5 MiXplorer Silver
Created by XDA member and developer Hootan Parsa, MiXplorer Silver is another great file manager. It packs a lot of customization features, including the ability to tweak the theme or disable menu options. MiXplorer also supports tabbed browsing and dual panel in landscape mode.
A powerful search function in the app makes it easier to locate files quickly and reliably. The app also has a custom USB OTG driver and can read any external drive with FAT32, exFat, and NTFS format. You also get support for 19 cloud storage providers, including Google Drive, Mega, Dropbox, Box, Yandex, Mediafire, 4Sync, OneDrive, 4Shared, Baidu, and more.
Other highlights include support for all major file management options, compress tools, root access, file encryption support, and much more. It's clearly one of the most feature-rich file managers you can download.
Although the Play Store version is paid, the app is available for download for free from XDA forums.
6 File Manager by InShot
File Manager by InShot is another good Android file explorer with desktop-grade features. It has a pretty clean UI and includes most major file management tools.
You can browse and manage all files on your internal storage, microSD card, and USB OTG. Standard file operations such as rename, copy and paste, compress/decompress, and multi-select are supported. The app also offers a private folder where you can securely store sensitive files. You can also restore your recently deleted files from the recycle bin with just a single click. The app can let you manage your phone files on your PC using FTP, and app management is also included
Additionally, the app includes a cleaner that can help you remove junk, duplicate files, and unnecessary files. InShot File Manager can connect with Google Drive as well, but support for other cloud services is absent at the moment. However, it regularly receives updates, and the developer says they plan to add several new features to the app, including support for remote file sharing with SMB and NAS and offline file sharing. If you want to give it a try, hit the link below.
7 Material Files
Looking for an open-source and clean file manager? Material Files from Hai Zhang can help. The app has a minimal design and follows Material You design guidelines. That means it can automatically theme its interface based on your current wallpaper. However, this feature is only available on devices running Android 12 and above. There is also a night mode that can be activated depending on the time, battery saver, or default system preference.
If your phone is rooted, you can also access files and folders with root access and do things like edit build.prop. Material Files is also Linux-aware and knows symbolic links, file permissions, and SELinux context.
You get all major file and folder management tools, including the ability to adjust permissions. Root access, SMB support, and archive support are present as well. You won't get access to cloud storage services, but you do get NAS support. This lets you remotely view and access files on FTP, SFTP, and SMB servers.
All in all, Material Files is a powerful file manager with a clean design and tons of features. The app supports all devices running Android 5.0 and up and is available to download for free without any in-app purchases.
8 Simple File Manager Pro
Simple File Manager Pro is another great open-source file manager app that offers the typical set of file and folder management tools, including search, navigation, copy and paste, rename, compress/decompress, and more. You can sort files and folders using various metrics such as size, date, last modified, and so on. It has everything you need to keep your files and folders organized.
You also get the ability to lock files and folders using a PIN, pattern, or fingerprint. It allows accessing root files and comes with a built-in file editor. You can use Simple File Manager Pro to convert media files, and you can customize its theme and colors to your liking.
The Simple Manager Pro can read files from internal storage, root directory, SD cards, and USB devices. It also recognizes multiple file formats and has a built-in video player, audio player, and document viewer.
Simple File Manager Pro is a paid app. We would have liked it if there was a trial period, so potential users could try it out before paying the full price. That said, we think the app is reasonably priced for what it has to offer.
9 Total Commander
Long-time Android users might be familiar with Total Commander, which is a powerful file explorer app with a long list of features. Its UI isn't as simple and clean as other file managers, but once you get used to it, you'll appreciate how diverse and capable it is. If you're having trouble opening a certain file type, there's a good chance Total Commander will handle it just fine.
Apart from the typical file and folder management options, the app includes a built-in text editor, root access, dual-panel support, a media player with streaming support from LAN, WebDAV, a cloud plugin, and a lot of languages. Since the app uses its own design language, it looks slightly different from the other file managers. The app also supports LAC access, WebDAV, FTP, and SFTP, and cloud services such as Google Drive, Microsoft Live, and Dropbox. However, these features aren't available out of the box and require downloading plugins.
The Total Commander is still in active development and regularly sees feature updates. Give it a try by hitting the Play Store link below.
10 X-plore File Manager
While Total Commander's UI is slightly different from other file managers, X-plore File Manager looks completely different, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's a fairly powerful file manager and includes lots of features.
The app has an interesting dual-pane tree UI that makes it easier to jump between folders and files. When you click on a folder, it collapses to reveal the files inside; the whole file directory remains visible in the view, so always know where you are. As we mentioned earlier, the UI can look a bit daunting compared to other file managers, but it's very intuitive once you get the hang of it.
Other notable highlights of the X-Plore File Manager app include root access, a disk map, cloud storage access, a PDF viewer, viewing APK files as ZIP, and configurable buttons and shortcuts. There are also a few paid features that require a donation, such as an encrypted vault, video player, Wi-Fi file sharing, SSH file transfer, and the ability to access phone files via a web browser.
If you're tired of traditional file managers and want to try out something new, you can download X-Plore File Manager from the link below.
Recapping the best file managers
Those are the best file manager apps you can download on your Android phones and tablets right now. It's tough to pick the best overall option as they're all equally good and offer unique features. But if you don't want to spend time checking out all the options, then we recommend downloading Files by Google. It's a free app that's easy to use and works on a variety of devices.
You can't go wrong with apps like Material Files and Total Commander, so you might want to explore them all before picking one for your device. If you are looking for more amazing Android apps, we've selected some of the overall best Android apps, best text messaging apps, and best wallpaper apps too. You should check them out.