These are the Best File Manager apps for Android: Files by Google, Cx File Explorer, MiXplorer Silver, and more!

The relatively open nature of Android allows users to browse through their device’s file structure and perform file and folder operations without needing a computer. Thus, a file manager or file explorer, whatever you want to call it, is a very useful tool for anyone who uses an Android phone or tablet for productivity.

Most manufacturers ship their Android phones and tablets with a built-in file manager but often, it’s a simple and barebones application. Fortunately, the Google Play store is flooded with file managers, although not all of them are good. So we’ve selected some of the best file managers that are available for Android. But before we start, let’s first talk a little bit about file managers and what you can do with them exactly.

What is a File Manager?

File Manager is a program that allows you to manage files and folders on your device. File Explorer (previously known as Windows Explorer) on PC and Finder on Mac are two of the most notable file managers. With file managers, you can create, rename, copy, move, delete, and search for files and folders.

These applications also allow you to modify file attributes and properties. Modern file managers not only manage local files but can also be connected to cloud storage services. So you can manage files and folders on services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. Some file managers can also connect to servers using protocols such as FTP, sFTP, WebDAV, and SMB. All in all, file managers can be very useful for you.

Best File Manager on Android

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. 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 things like the ability to compress files.

In terms of extras, the ‘Files by Google’ app includes a Safe Folder, where you can store your sensitive files, and it can be locked using a PIN or pattern. Additionally, the app helps you clean your phone’s contents by suggesting things to delete. This is one of the features present since day one of the app. It also allows file sharing without an internet connection to other Android and Chrome OS users in the vicinity who also have the Files app installed. Overall, it is one of the simplest and easy-to-use file managers around.

Files by Google (Free, Google Play) →

Cx File Explorer

Cx File Explorer is one of the highest-rated file managers in the Google Play store, and rightly so. It’s a decent file manager that has a clean UI. It not only allows you to manage local files but you can also manage files uploaded on cloud storage and NAS. All major file management tools are available, including the ability to compress files and calculate checksums. The Cx File Explorer can also manage your apps.

Cx File Explorer (Free, Google Play) →

File Manager by InShot

File Manager by InShot is another good Android file explorer. It has a pretty clean UI and includes most major file management tools. Additionally, the app also 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. The app can let you manage your phone files on your PC and app management is also included.

File Manager (No Ads) (Free, Google Play) →

File Manager Plus

File Manager Plus is one of the most downloaded file explorers on Android. It has been downloaded over 50 million times and with great ratings. You can use it to manage your local as well as cloud and NAS-stored files. The app also provides all major file management options, and PC access is present as well. All in all, it’s a pretty straightforward app that carries a clean UI and offers pretty much everything you need from a file manager.

File Manager (Free⁺, Google Play) →

FE File Explorer Pro

FE File Explorer Pro is a powerful file manager app that lets you manage your phone’s local storage, files on your computer, NAS, and cloud storage. The support for managing computer files is something you don’t get on many apps. Moreover, the app allows you to edit files present on remote storage using another app and then saves the updated copy back to the remote storage.

The app can also stream music and videos from your remote storage. Typical file management options are available, and you can transfer files between Android and iOS using the app’s ‘Nearby File Transfer’ feature.

FE File Explorer Pro - File Manager ($4.99, Google Play) →

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. The app also lets you enable or disable menu options and action buttons. MiXplorer also supports tabbed browsing and dual panel in landscape mode.

You get all major file management options, support for 19 cloud storage services, compress tools, root access, file encryption support, and a lot more. It’s clearly one of the most feature-rich file managers you can download, and it recently completed 10 years existence.

MiXplorer Silver - File Manager ($4.99, Google Play) →

Material Files

Looking for an open-source and clean file manager? Material Files from Hai Zhang can help. It follows Material Design guidelines for its customizable interface, and it also supports night mode. You get all major file and folder management tools, including the ability to adjust permissions. Root access, SMB support, and archive support is present as well. You won’t however get access to cloud storage services.

Material Files (Free, Google Play) →

Simple File Manager Pro

Simple File Manager Pro is another open-source file manager app, that offers the typical set of file and folder management tools. 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 customize its theme and colors to your liking.

Simple File Manager Pro: File Explorer & Organizer ($1.09, Google Play) →

Total Commander

Total Commander is a powerful file explorer app that comes with a long list of features. Apart from the typical file and folder management options, the app includes a built-in text editor, support for plugins (FTP, LAN, and Drive), 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.

Total Commander - file manager (Free, Google Play) →

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 also fairly powerful and includes lots of features such as 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.

X-plore File Manager (Free⁺, Google Play) →

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If you think we missed out on a great file manager, let us know in the comments section. Meanwhile, 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. You should check them out.

The post These are the Best File Manager apps for Android: Files by Google, Cx File Explorer, MiXplorer Silver, and more! appeared first on xda-developers.

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WhatsApp’s Expiring Media feature starts rolling out on the beta channel

In September last year, we first heard about an upcoming feature in WhatsApp that would let you share images, videos, and GIFs that would expire after a predefined duration. We learned more details earlier this year when WABetaInfo shared screenshots showcasing the feature in action. Now, the Expiring Media feature is finally rolling out to users with the latest WhatsApp beta update.

As per a new report from WABetaInfo, the expiring media feature is live in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.21.14.3. If you wish to try it out, you can download the latest beta release by following the link below. After installing the update, you should see a new “view once” button when sharing media. Tapping on the button will enable the feature, and the recipient will only be able to view the shared media once.

As soon as the recipient opens the media, you’ll receive a notification stating that the recipient has opened the file. When they close the file, it will instantly disappear. WABetaInfo further reveals that those who disable read receipts will not be able to see when the recipient opens a disappearing media file. However, those who have read receipts enabled can still see when the recipient opens the file, even if the recipient has read receipts disabled.

In addition, WhatsApp hasn’t implemented any security measures to prevent users from taking screenshots of the disappearing media. This means that you won’t receive any notification if the recipient takes a screenshot, making the feature just as useless as WhatsApp’s disappearing messages feature. If you still wish to give it a go, you can download the latest WhatsApp beta release by following the link below. Do note that the feature may not be available for all beta testers at the moment, but it should roll out to more users in the coming days. It’s also worth noting that the feature isn’t available in the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS.

Download WhatsApp beta v2.21.14.3

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TCL brings its premium C Series range of 4K TVs to India

TCL today launched three new premium 4K TVs in the Indian market. The new range features 120Hz MEMC support, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, IMAX Enhanced, Game Master, Hands-free voice control 2.0, and a host of other features. The new range will also be upgraded to the new Google TV interface, starting Q3 2021. Here’s a quick look at all the new models in TCL’s C Series lineup:

TCL C825 Mini LED 4K TV

The TCL C825 Mini LED 4K TV is the crown jewel of TCL’s new TV range. It offers support for a range of premium features, including full array local dimming, Dolby Vision HDR, Dolby Vision IQ, 120Hz refresh rate with MEMC support, Game Master with HDMI 2.1 input, and IMAX Enhanced certification. The TV also comes with a 1080p magnetic camera that can be used to make video calls using Google Duo or Zoom. Furthermore, the TV features an integrated Onkyo Soundbar with a built-in subwoofer and Dolby Atmos support.

The TCL C825 will be available in two size variants in the Indian market — 55-inch and 65-inch — priced at ₹114,990 and ₹149,990, respectively.

TCL C725 QLED 4K TV

The TCL C725 features a 4K QLED panel, and it also offers support for features like Dolby Vision, HDR10+, MEMC, and hands-free voice control 2.0. Much like the C825, the C725 comes with a webcam for video calls and an integrated soundbar from Onkyo with Dolby Atmos support.

The TV will be available in three screen sizes — 50-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch — priced at ₹64,990, ₹72,990, and ₹99,999, respectively.

TCL C728 QLED 4K TV

Rounding off the list is the new TCL C728 TV, which also features a 4K QLED panel. The TV is squarely aimed at console gamers, and it features Game Master support with HMDI 2.1 input, 120Hz MEMC, and hand-free voice control. The TV also offers variable refresh rate (VRR) support, an auto low-latency mode (ALLM), and eARC.

The TCL 728 will be available in three sizes — 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch — priced at ₹79,990, ₹102,990, and ₹159,990, respectively.

All three models will run TCL UI based on Android TV out of the box, and they’ll be upgraded to Google TV later this year. The TVs will be available on Amazon.in, Reliance Digital, TCL’s website, and select offline retail stores. It’s worth noting that the company will start smartphone and TV display panel manufacturing in India later this year, which should effectively bring down the price for the aforementioned models.

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These are the Best Chrome Extensions: Buster, MightyText, Inssist, and more!

It’s hard to deny that Google Chrome is one of the most popular web browsers used by a majority of people across the world, regardless of the platform. It comes pre-installed on all Android smartphones and Chromebooks, and has also become the browser of choice for a lot of people on Windows computers, because it syncs your data across all devices that use Chrome. Even if you don’t use Chrome directly and use alternatives like Brave or Microsoft Edge instead, those browsers still use the Chromium engine. So a lot of elements like the sync functionality and Chrome extensions remain uniform.

Chrome extensions are a great way to increase the functionality of your web browser and add functions that extend beyond just browsing around on the web. We’ve tried various Chrome extensions across different genres to see which ones actually stand out and add some value to your browsing experience, and here are some of the best ones we found. The list contains Chrome extensions for everyone regardless of what you do on the internet. From productivity to entertainment, we’ve tried covering all bases to make sure there’s something that interests everyone.

All of these extensions can be used on any Chromium-based browser and platforms including Mac, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, etc. If you have a ChromeOS-based device, we have a list of the best keyboards for Chromebooks and even a guide to opt out of Google’s Privacy Sandbox on Chrome that you may want to check out if you’re a privacy nerd.

Navigate this guide:

• Essential Chrome Extensions
• Productivity Chrome Extensions
• Utility Chrome Extensions
• Entertainment Chrome Extensions

Essential Chrome Extensions

These are the extensions we feel everyone must use on their browsers and can benefit from in different ways. From helping you save money to saving important data on the cloud, these extensions will help you while performing different activities on the web.

Save to Google Drive

Save to Google Drive is quite a basic one and the name tells you what it does. Don’t write it off just yet though — we’ve included it under essential extensions for a reason. How many times have you come across a webpage, image, video, or file that you wanted to save for later or share with someone? If your answer is often, this extension is for you.

It basically adds a Save to Google Drive button in the contextual right-click menu in your browser so next time you see something you want to save or share, just right-click and select Save to Google Drive and it’ll be automatically added to Drive. From there, you can either download it for yourself or share the link with anyone you want.

Save to Google Drive

Adds a button in the right-click menu to save files directly to Google Drive.

Download from Chrome Web Store

Honey

If you’re a shopaholic and order a lot of things from different e-commerce websites online, this one’s for you. Honey is a Chrome extension that checks for the best deals and offers you can apply while checking out on multiple online shopping websites. You can compare deals and buy whatever you want from the portal that offers the best price.

Honey has a database of discount and coupon codes that it tries to apply automatically on almost all popular shopping websites which can save you a lot of money especially if you order stuff regularly. From ordering food to expensive electronics, Honey claims you can save upwards of $100 every year using their extension.

Honey

Honey helps you save money while shopping online by applying the best possible discount codes.

Download from Chrome Web Store

Buster

If you hate captchas, Buster is for you. A lot of websites often ask you to enter or solve captchas which can get boring or sometimes confusing too, especially when you’re using Chrome in incognito mode or if you’re using a VPN. You’ll be prompted to solve a captcha quite frequently and after a point, it does get really annoying. Don’t worry, Buster has got you covered. Every time you see a captcha, the bottom section of the captcha window will now have an extra icon that fires up Buster once you install the extension. Clicking on the button will automatically solve the captcha for you in a matter of seconds.

Buster

Buster can solve captchas by itself, saving you time and annoyance.

Download from Chrome Web Store

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Productivity Chrome Extensions

These extensions contribute towards improving your productivity while you’re working and help you get more out of your web browser. You can integrate these extensions into your workflow to help you do your work in a better way, manage time properly, or even multitask in a more efficient manner. These are our top three productivity-related extensions.

Todoist

We’ve featured Todoist as a part of our best WearOS apps article as well, and that’s because it’s one of the best services to create a to-do list. The Chrome extension from Todoist doesn’t require any additional app installation but offers a great deal of functionality. It sits in your browser in the extension bar and a single click will reveal a window where you can access all your tasks and tick them off whenever you’re done with them.

It’s a great way to start your day by inputting all your pending work and it’s quite satisfying to check all the boxes as and when you complete your work.

Todoist

Todoist is a great extension to help you with listing down all your pending tasks or even to simply take down pointers during a meeting.

Download from Chrome Web Store

MightyText

MightyText is a great way to avoid constantly checking your phone while you’re working on your computer. It enables you to send and receive SMS messages directly from the Chrome extension, so if you’re texting your friends and colleagues or just want an OTP for a transaction, you no longer have to reach out for your phone.

We all know if you pick up your phone to reply to a message, it doesn’t just stop there. You’ll probably open a social media app and end up spending more time than required, so this is a good app to avoid such distractions.

MightyText

MightyText lets you send and receive SMS messages directly from your browser so that you don't have to reach out to your phone.

Download from Chrome Web Store

Google Meet PiP

You’ve probably heard of Google’s own picture-in-picture extension and probably even use it to watch videos in PiP mode on your browser. However, the Google Meet PiP extension lets you have a PiP window of a Google Meet call running on your screen while you continue to do other tasks.

This is very helpful if you’re in a meeting and someone is sharing their screen for a presentation and you need to refer to some notes or you’re just involved in other important work. You won’t have to stay on the meeting tab all the time while still continuing to see the presentation. If you attend a lot of meetings, this is a great addition.

Google Meet PiP

Google Meet PiP allows you to have a floating Google Meet window so you can attend meetings while working on something else.

Download from Chrome Web Store

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Utility Chrome Extensions

These are some extensions on Chrome that make your job a lot easier or introduce features that can be really nifty. While you may initially think you don’t really need these features, using them a few times will make you realize what you were missing out on before you had them installed!

Save Image as Type

If you download a lot of images from the web, this extension makes your job a lot easier. While most images are in popular formats like JPG or PNG, there are some websites that have images in less popular formats like WebP which are not very easy to open or edit on a few devices.

Save as Image Type adds an option in the contextual menu when you right-click on an image and allows you to save the image in whatever format you want. It saves the time and effort of first downloading the image and then converting it to the required type.

Save Image as Type

This extension allows you to choose the format in which you want to download an image from the web.

Download from Chrome Web Store

Mailtrack

While most instant messaging services like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal have the option to enable read receipts for messages, there’s no such option on Gmail. If you’re sending an important email, there’s no way of knowing if the recipient has opened your email or not, let alone knowing when or how many times they’ve opened it. Well, Mailtrack solves that problem.

Once you install the extension and authorize it with your Google account, you will be able to track all the emails that you send and receive a notification every time your mail was opened by the recipient. You can even see how many times an email was opened which is neat. Once you start using Mailtrack, there’s no going back.

Mailtrack

Mailtrack gives you read receipts for your emails and lets you check when and how many times your emails were opened.

Download from Chrome Web Store

Dark Reader

This one’s quite self-explanatory. While most smartphones have a built-in dark mode to make viewing the screen easier on your eyes in the dark, a lot of websites still don’t have a dark mode, and Chrome by default doesn’t have the option to enforce dark mode. Dark Reader is an extension that does exactly that.

You can enable dark mode on every single website, so if you’re using Chrome on an OLED display, you can save some battery while also reducing the strain on your eyes especially at night.

Dark Reader

Dark Reader is a simple extension that forces dark mode on all websites on Chrome.

Download from Chrome Web Store

Awesome Screenshot and Screen Recorder

While you can take screenshots on your computer using the default tools on Windows, Mac, or any other OS for that matter, Awesome Screenshot and Screen Recorder lets you take customized screenshots within Chrome itself which can be very handy if you want to capture only specific portions of the webpage or a scrolling screenshot of the entire webpage.

Additionally, you even get a screen recorder built-in that can either record the entire Chrome window or a specific tab along with feed from your webcam which can be very handy if you’re shooting a tutorial or just recording something to help somebody. This is another of those must-have extensions.

Awesome Screenshot and Screen Recorder

If you take a lot of screenshots on Chrome or record videos with different webpages, this extension makes things a lot easier.

Download from Chrome Web Store

The Great Suspender

If you open a lot of tabs on your browser and don’t close them for whatever reason, The Great Suspender is a godsend. It puts unused tabs in a suspended state meaning a tab will not be active anymore if you haven’t opened it in a while. When you have too many tabs open, your browser — especially Chrome — consumes a lot of RAM that can in turn slow down your entire computer.

By using this extension, you can put all of those unused tabs to sleep to save memory on your device and make Chrome, as well as your computer, run smoother. Whenever you open a suspended tab, you just have to refresh it to bring it back to life.

The Great Suspender

This extension suspends all your unused tabs and puts them in a state of sleep to save memory on your computer.

Download from Chrome Web Store

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Entertainment Chrome Extensions

Enough of work and productivity, it’s time to have some fun and get entertained. Here are some extensions to improve your experience while consuming media on your browser or even add some features to social media apps that are not present by default. If you want to watch your favorite shows and movies with friends and family, we’ve got that covered too.

Inssist

Instagram is arguably one of the most popular social media platforms but is also the one with the worst web interface. Even after being around for years, the Instagram web app doesn’t allow users to upload posts or stories onto their profile which is a pain. Even the ability to check and reply to DMs was introduced only recently so that tells you how unimportant its web client is to Instagram.

The way to fix this is by using Inssist. It’s an extension you need to authorize by logging into Instagram, and once you’ve done that, you will be able to post photos, videos, and even stories onto your Instagram profile directly from your computer without having to open the app on your smartphone.

Inssist

Inssist is an Instagram client that lets you upload posts and stories directly from your computer.

Download from Chrome Web Store

Audio Only YouTube

YouTube is a great platform to watch videos on. However, YouTube can often just be used to listen to music as well, since a lot of artists upload their tracks to YouTube along with other music streaming platforms. While you can use YouTube Music on your smartphone to listen to the song without the video playing along, there’s no such thing on the web. So if you only want to listen to the music, the video stream consumes your internet data unnecessarily. Audio Only YouTube fixes that by adding a button that allows you to stream just the music and saves up to 50% of data.

Audio Only YouTube

If you use YouTube to listen to a lot of songs, this extension allows you to stream just the music and save data by not streaming the video along with it.

Download from Chrome Web Store

Invideo for YouTube

Here’s another Chrome extension for YouTube. There are times when you want to skip to a particular section in the video where the creator mentions a specific thing you were looking for. It’s quite tedious to manually scroll through the seek bar to find the exact section especially if it’s a long video. That’s where Invideo for YouTube comes in.

It makes use of YouTube’s transcription feature to search within a video and find the section where the creator mentions the term you’re looking for. Just search for the word or phrase you want to find in a video and you can skip directly to that timestamp.

Invideo for YouTube

Invideo can help you find particular sections in a YouTube video where the creator has mentioned a specific word you're trying to find.

Download from Chrome Web Store

Watch Party

You’re probably aware of this one but for those of you who aren’t, Watch Party allows you to watch your favorite TV shows and movies with your friends and family in sync. It can be a pain to stream video together, especially if you’re a lot of people and while hosting an online meeting is an option, it doesn’t work too well with audio at times or everyone in the meeting doesn’t get controls to play/pause the content.

Apple recently introduced a similar feature built into Facetime, but not everyone has an iPhone and this extension is universal and works across devices. A host of services are supported so pick your favorite show and start binging with your friends!

Watch Party

Watch Party allows you to watch content form your favorite streaming platforms along with friends and family.

Download from Chrome Web Store

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From productivity to entertainment, all of these extensions add immense value to your usage and can help you save time or enable features you didn’t think could be done. You can install all of them to try them out and keep the ones that are really helpful to you. However, note that Chrome extensions do consume a good chunk of memory so make sure you limit yourself to a few extensions. You can install the rest whenever you want to use them temporarily for a specific purpose and then delete them later.

Which of these extensions interested you the most? Are there any useful extensions that we missed out on which you use? Let us know in the comments below so we can add them to the list.

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