ES File Explorer is a popular file manager app for Android that lets you easily browse, access, and manage files on your phone, computer and cloud storage. With ES File Explorer you can do things like:
- Browse files and folders on your Android device
- Access files stored on your computer or network over WiFi
- Manage cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive
- Transfer files between devices and cloud services
- View app info and manage apps
- Play media files like videos, music and photos
Getting Started with ES File Explorer
Installing ES File Explorer is easy. Just search for “ES File Explorer” on the Google Play Store and tap install. The app is free to download with no in-app purchases.
Once installed, open ES File Explorer from your Android’s app drawer. When you first launch it, you’ll need to allow some permissions like access to storage and WiFi.
Allowing these permissions lets ES Explorer find and manage your files.
Browsing Files on Your Android Device
The first thing you’ll see when opening ES File Explorer is all the folders and files saved on your Android’s built-in storage.
At the top left you can tap on the navigation icon to see external SD card storage if your phone has one inserted.
Tapping into folders lets you navigate just like you would using Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder.
You can tap files to open them in compatible apps. Long pressing files gives you options like copy, move, share, rename and more.
Accessing Files on Your Computer
A great feature of ES File Explorer is being able access files saved on your Windows or Mac computer.
As long as your phone and computer are connected to the same WiFi network, you can access your computer’s files wirelessly.
To set this up go to the left sidebar menu > Network > LAN Computer. Tap the plus icon to search for computers on your network. Select the one you want to connect to and enter any required login details like username and password.
Once connected, your computer will show under Network. Tap into it to browse folders and access files just like you would on your computer itself.
You can even transfer files back and forth between devices this way.
Managing Cloud Storage
In addition to local device and computer access, ES File Explorer lets you access, browse and manage cloud storage services:
Google Drive – Sign in to your Google account to access your Drive files directly in ES Explorer. Transfer files from Drive to your device or upload device files to your cloud storage.
Dropbox – Connect your Dropbox account by going to Tools > Cloud Storage > Dropbox. Once linked you can browse, view, upload and share files from Dropbox through ES Explorer.
OneDrive – Head to Tools > Cloud Storage > OneDrive and sign in with your Microsoft account. Manage files on OneDrive including uploading camera photos directly to the cloud.
Transferring Files Between Devices
Moving files between devices is simple with ES File Explorer. As long as your devices are on the same WiFi network you can transfer files between them using ES Explorer’s Send To option.
For example, open the file you want to transfer on Device 1. Tap the menu button in the corner and choose Send To.
Then on Device 2 open ES Explorer, go to Tools > Receive Files and it will detect files being sent to it from Device 1.
You can transfer all kinds of files like photos, videos, music, documents and more this way between Android devices or even your computer.
Viewing App Information
Curious about apps you have installed? ES File Explorer lets you view detailed app info.
Go to Tools > App Manager. Here you can see all your downloaded apps, their total size, individual sizes if multiple packages, version info, data folder locations and more.
Tapping an app shows even more detail like full name, package name, install date, last updated date, target Android SDK version and permissions used. Very useful for monitoring your apps!
Playing Media Files
Don’t want to switch apps just to watch videos or listen to music? ES File Explorer lets you play media files directly inside the app.
When browsing folders, tap any video or music file and select ES Media Player as the player. The file will start playing immediately in ES Explorer’s built-in media player popup window.
Handy for quick playback without opening another app!
Conclusion
In the short time we have, I’ve only scratched the surface of everything ES File Explorer can do.It really is one of the most feature-packed file manager and explorer apps available for Android.
Intuitive, easy to use and so versatile for file management both on device and accessing your computer or cloud storage.
Definitely give it try next time you need to dig through your phone’s folders!
