One of the changes that we’ve seen in phones over recent years has been more control over the file systems. Having previously hidden away a lot of the local storage structure, Android and iOS now both give you easy access to it so you can manage your files similar to how you would on Windows or macOS.
It reflects a few gradual changes in the phones that we carry around with us, including increasing amounts of onboard storage space, increasingly complex apps, and increasingly sophisticated operating systems. Links with cloud storage platforms are also now more common than ever, which adds to the need for local file management tools.
While there are several file managers to use, particularly on Android, we’re going to focus on the tools that come built into Android and iOS, and what you can do with them. Besides giving you a better idea of what files you’ve got and where they are, these apps will also help you free up space on your devices.
Files on Android
If you own an Android phone of some description, you’ll find the Files app from Google is preinstalled. Open the app and you should see recently saved files first, then different file categories that you can browse through, including Downloads, Images, Videos, and Documents. You can also search for files using the box at the top.
Farther down the screen, you can access every folder on your file via the Internal storage button and every cloud storage account you’ve connected to Android via the Other storage button. There’s also access to your Safe folder here, which is a special folder you can protect with a PIN and use to store particularly sensitive files.
Once you’re within a specific folder or file category, you’re able to tap on any file to open it—for formats that cannot be opened within the Files app itself, you’ll be prompted to choose a different app on your phone to handle it. Tap the grid or list icon in the top right corner to change the folder view, and the three dots (also top right), then Sort by to change the order in which files are shown. New folders can be added from the same menu.
Tap the three dots next to any file to open up a menu that shows a wealth of options related to that file. Among the actions you can take here are renaming, sharing, moving, and copying the file, as well as shifting it to the Trash folder (where it will stay for 30 days before being permanently deleted).
From this menu, you’re also able to see more info for a file and back it up to cloud storage. If you need to select multiple files to take action on together, tap and hold on the first file you want to pick until the checkboxes appear, then select any others you need. You can then use the three dots (top right) to find actions like move, copy, and delete.
One other useful feature in the Files app: From the opening screen, tap the menu button (three horizontal lines, top left), then choose Clean to see suggestions for files you can delete to free up space. These might include downloads, large files, unused apps, duplicate files, and screenshots, for example.
Files on iOS
Over on the iPhone, file management duties are handled by the Files app developed by Apple. There are three main tabs here to navigate between: Recents (recently created or edited files), Shared (shared files), and Browse (which gives you access to all the files and folders on iOS).
Whenever you’re in a folder somewhere in Files, you can tap the three dots (top right) to find the view options for that folder: You can change the order the files are shown in, and switch between the Icons and List views. The same menu has a Select option, which you can use for picking and taking action on several files at once, and a New Folder option.
The Browse tab is the most useful part of the Files app: From here you can jump to numerous local and cloud locations, including iCloud Drive, On My iPhone, and any other third-party cloud storage accounts you’ve connected to iOS. Recently deleted files and tagged files can be accessed from here too.
Right at the top there’s a search box you can use for looking for specific files. Otherwise, tap on any of the locations to browse through the folders. For a lot of file types, such as PDF documents and image files, you can simply tap a file to open it. For other formats, Files might launch a separate app on your iPhone, such as Pages or Numbers.
To access file operations, press and hold on a file. If you’ve selected multiple files, use the icons and the three dots at the bottom of the screen. You’re able to rename, copy, move, share, and delete files from these menus. (Deleted files will go to the Recently Deleted folder for 30 days before being permanently erased.)
For files that are synced with iCloud Drive, you also have the option of downloading files permanently to your device. This takes up more storage space of course, but it means you can get at these files more quickly, and without an internet connection. This only appears when you’re browsing through the iCloud Drive section of Files: Any files that aren’t stored locally have a small cloud symbol next to them, and you can manage their status with a long press on the file icon itself.
The post How to Manage Files on iOS and Android appeared first on Wired.
