Andy Walker / Android Authority
Every Android smartphone needs a file explorer, and for Pixel smartphones and many others, the default option is Files by Google. This free, lightweight app offers essential file management features, and its clean design makes viewing content in folders or categories quick and easy. It’s a great way to clean up duplicate files and maintain free space on your device, but it’s not the best file management app on Android.
I’ve used many file explorers on Android over the years, and these are the best alternatives to Files by Google that offer more advanced features, a more attractive design, and additional customization options.
What Android file management app do you use? 26 votes Files by Google 15 % Mixplorer 4 % Material Files 12 % Solid Explorer 23 % Cx File Explorer 12 % Fossify File Manager 12 % Your phone's default file manager. 15 % Another app (mention which in comments). 8 %
Mixplorer
Andy Walker / Android Authority
Few file explorers match Mixplorer’s versatility and extensibility. This is my favorite file management app for Android, and it has been in active development for over a decade.
Mixplorer’s name reflects its ability to seamlessly integrate various storage solutions, from internal storage to external media, LAN, Google Drive, OneDrive, and other cloud services. Once set up, you can access all this data without opening individual apps. Moreover, Mixplorer supports symlinks, which provide even more flexible file access opportunities across Android.
Another popular feature is Mixplorer’s customizable design. The default layout is user-friendly, but power users can integrate add-ons for additional functionality, install skins to theme the app, and use the tabbed interface to switch between services and folders easily. I love Mixplorer’s dropdown breadcrumbs menu, a design choice that makes it easy to backtrack to a root folder without sacrificing screen space.
Notably, Mixplorer is free if you download it through XDA, but the app is so well-built that I recommend supporting the developer. You can do so by downloading Mixplorer Silver via the Play Store.
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