Some Android smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S4,\r\nship with a built-in file manager (called My Files). Although it’s not very\r\npowerful or flexible, it gets the job done. But if you need more in the way of\r\nfeatures or control — or you purchased an Android device without a built-in\r\nfile manager — where do you turn?
To the Google Play Store. There, you will find any\r\nnumber of file managers to choose from. The big challenge is figuring out which\r\nones offer the most power and flexibility. I have narrowed the selection to my\r\nfive favorite file managers, one of which is sure to have everything you need.
Note: This gallery is also available as a TechRepublic article.
A Fast Access sidebar takes you to Favorites, Local,\r\nLibrary, Network, and Tools. The tools that come with ES File Explorer include\r\nApp Manager, Download Manager, System Manager, and SD Card Analyst.
File Manager (Explorer)\r\nisn’t pretty, it has ads, and it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of ES\r\nFile Explorer or ASTRO, but it gets the job done and done well. It features\r\ncut, copy, paste; job cancellation; compress/decompress support; list and grid\r\nview; search and share files; multi-select; FTP/FTPS/sFTP/WebDAV support; and\r\nmuch more.
ES File Explorer has an elegant\r\ninterface and plenty of options. One of its best features is the ability to view\r\ndifferent “windows.” Each window is a specific profile: Cloud, LAN,\r\nHomepage, sdcard. The Homepage is a dashboard that gives you access to\r\ndifferent file types and plenty of other information/features. The sdcard\r\nwindow provides immediate access to the local storage. The LAN window allows\r\nyou to connect to a server. The Cloud window gains you access to your cloud\r\nstorage.
Jack Wallen is an award-winning writer for TechRepublic, The New Stack, and Linux New Media. He's covered a variety of topics for over twenty years and is an avid promoter of open source. For more news about Jack Wallen, visit his website jackwallen.com.
