It doesn't matter whether you use Windows, Mac or Linux on your desktop. all come with a file manager app to let you view and manage your files. It is an important part of the system. The same goes for your Android phone. Every Android phone will come with a default file manager, although not all of them are good enough. If you're looking for an app that has it all, here are some of the best Android file managers you should try.
The best Android file managers
File manager
The default and stock file manager for Asus' Zen line of phones and tablets. Thanks to the Android gods for making it available and free for any device that can run it. It comes with a simple and aesthetic design. ASUS File Manager has a nice category screen that lets you organize and label your files. It is compatible with a multitude of cloud storage services such as OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox, while being simple enough to link the account and manage it directly. It also allows you to compress and decompress rar and zip files and allows wireless transfer between your phone and PC. ASUS File Manager is also completely ad-free.
ES File Explorer
ES File Explorer is one of the oldest and most trusted file explorers on this list. It would actually be number one if only it weren't for the publicity. It's understandable, though, because despite all the time and effort the developers put in, they deserve a financial payout for their troubles. If you don't like ads, you can always buy the pro version. However, I suspect the free version is good enough and you can still find a way to block ads on your Android device.
ASTRO File Manager
The first thing you see on the ASTRO File Manager Google Play page is “No Ads”. This banner appears on its icon, like a company motto. So, for those who want a great ad-free file browser, look no further. Along with helping you organize your files through its file manager, it comes with a handy memory cleaner. It allows you to compress and decompress files in rar and zip formats. You can also bookmark settings, files, and folders. It comes with its own media player that lets you play videos, music and smoothly browse your photo collection and lets you manage your cloud storage.
Xplore File Manager
It's time to bring the pane, two panes. The particularity of X-Plore is that it offers you the possibility of managing windows simultaneously by providing you with a double-pane explorer that allows you to copy files and compare two folders. On top of all that, it lets you see inside APK files and zip folders into APK packages. It has a disk map that lets you see which files are consuming the most disk space and comes with its own PDF viewer. You can wirelessly manage your files from a PC's web browser. It comes with cloud storage access and a video player that enables subtitles. But all of this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Total Commander
The classic, original and my favorite, Total Commander features a simple yet powerful user interface. A few people may consider it anachronistic and a bit plain, but it's as good as its Windows equivalent and gets the job done. It is fully pluggable which means you can add more functionality using plugins. It has a media player capable of streaming directly from LAN, WebDAV and Cloud plugins. You can bookmark and save folders as shortcuts. For those of those with rooted devices, it has a capable root explorer.
If we missed any of the best Android file managers, tell us about them in the comments.
