25 ms·

> there's no file manager Is there one on Android?

by jrajav 14y ago

dagw 14y ago
I don't know if phones ship with one by default or not, but there are several in the app store. Personally I really like ES File Explorer, since it also lets me browse smb shares.
thejetset 14y ago
Generally not by default, but that can vary by manufacturer. You can just download one of the many available from the Play Store.
- Spoom 14y ago
  Anecdotally my Droid Razr came with one.
hdra 14y ago
Depend on your phone model. Mine came with free version of a file browser with some functions (batch files operation, etc) disabled, with IAP to unlock those functions.
Irregardless 14y ago
Default will depend on which phone you get, but there's no shortage of great free ones in the market (Astro and ES File Explorer, for example). Also, Android phones work just like a USB drive if you want to drag and drop files then access them from another computer later. You can store anything you want and create your own folders, unlike the iPhone where you can only sync certain media types through iTunes. That's what I was referring to with the file manager thing, but I'm not sure how to say that succinctly...
- jerf 14y ago
  "The Android phone functions as a standard USB hard drive." Also, it's not just a sandboxed area, like on my previous "feature phone" (store whatever you like on it, but the phone's OS won't do anything with it), but the real SD card in the phone, directly.
- nicholassmith 14y ago
  Which everyone wants of course. Except me. Or my girlfriend. Or my parents. Or my sister. Or in fact, everyone I know with one. A feature that you think is critical is a feature that is critical for you. The refrain that iOS suffers from a lack of file exploration or drag and drop of any kind of content is based around the assumption that everyone wants that. Most people don't.
  - Drakim 14y ago
    I can understand your point, but too often this sounds like an extremely weak excuse: "So iPhone doesn't have this feature? Good! I didn't want it anyway!". I personally see having more options and choices as a great thing even when I don't personally need those options. Even if I think the default android keyboard is the greatest touchscreen keyboard in existence, I still think it should be possible and easy to use another keyboard app instead.
    - nicholassmith 14y ago
      Choice is great, my argument wasn't that choice is bad because that's silly. My argument was saying that a feature that a lot of people have no use for is a really big negative against a platform is an incredibly bad point. It's a feature that has inherent personal usefulness for the user, if there's a strong majority that don't have need of that then it's not a negative against a platform when it's functionality for functionality sake.
      - Drakim 14y ago
        But the iPhone isn't just lacking in one or two options. It's a very locked down platform in several ways. I have a hard time applying your argument of "a lot of people have no use" when it comes to something as fundamental as being allowed to run an app or browser that Apple does not like.
        nicholassmith 14y ago
        Okay so here's choice. You can have chocolate or steak, what you can't expect is that the steak is made of chocolate. There's choice. Apple has presented a product with specific guidelines and won't budge, your choice is "Does this product do everything I want it do/or nearly everything" if the iPhone fits that then that's a fine choice, if it doesn't then you can go choose something else. It's Apple's party, and they'll approve if they want to. They just don't, because they don't think it's what the majority of their customer base wants.
- SonicSoul 14y ago
  i recently re-installed ES File Explorer and was floored with how much work went into it! i've used it years ago so i could see the difference. it is now also an app manager, ftp client, bluetooth/network explorer.. and it's FREE! i'm also not seeing any ads. how can they afford to put so much work into this app?
  - runjake 14y ago
    I'd start by checking their privacy policy.
cma 14y ago
There's a 'Downloads' folder on Android, which at least covers most use cases.

> there's no file manager Is there one on Android?

by jrajav 14y ago

> there's no file manager Is there one on Android?

dagw 14y ago

I don't know if phones ship with one by default or not, but there are several in the app store. Personally I really like ES File Explorer, since it also lets me browse smb shares.

thejetset 14y ago

Generally not by default, but that can vary by manufacturer. You can just download one of the many available from the Play Store.

Spoom 14y ago
Anecdotally my Droid Razr came with one.

hdra 14y ago

Depend on your phone model. Mine came with free version of a file browser with some functions (batch files operation, etc) disabled, with IAP to unlock those functions.

Irregardless 14y ago

Default will depend on which phone you get, but there's no shortage of great free ones in the market (Astro and ES File Explorer, for example). Also, Android phones work just like a USB drive if you want to drag and drop files then access them from another computer later. You can store anything you want and create your own folders, unlike the iPhone where you can only sync certain media types through iTunes. That's what I was referring to with the file manager thing, but I'm not sure how to say that succinctly...

jerf 14y ago
"The Android phone functions as a standard USB hard drive." Also, it's not just a sandboxed area, like on my previous "feature phone" (store whatever you like on it, but the phone's OS won't do anything with it), but the real SD card in the phone, directly.
nicholassmith 14y ago
Which everyone wants of course. Except me. Or my girlfriend. Or my parents. Or my sister. Or in fact, everyone I know with one. A feature that you think is critical is a feature that is critical for you. The refrain that iOS suffers from a lack of file exploration or drag and drop of any kind of content is based around the assumption that everyone wants that. Most people don't.
- Drakim 14y ago
  I can understand your point, but too often this sounds like an extremely weak excuse: "So iPhone doesn't have this feature? Good! I didn't want it anyway!". I personally see having more options and choices as a great thing even when I don't personally need those options. Even if I think the default android keyboard is the greatest touchscreen keyboard in existence, I still think it should be possible and easy to use another keyboard app instead.
  - nicholassmith 14y ago
    Choice is great, my argument wasn't that choice is bad because that's silly. My argument was saying that a feature that a lot of people have no use for is a really big negative against a platform is an incredibly bad point. It's a feature that has inherent personal usefulness for the user, if there's a strong majority that don't have need of that then it's not a negative against a platform when it's functionality for functionality sake.
    - Drakim 14y ago
      But the iPhone isn't just lacking in one or two options. It's a very locked down platform in several ways. I have a hard time applying your argument of "a lot of people have no use" when it comes to something as fundamental as being allowed to run an app or browser that Apple does not like.
      - nicholassmith 14y ago
        Okay so here's choice. You can have chocolate or steak, what you can't expect is that the steak is made of chocolate. There's choice. Apple has presented a product with specific guidelines and won't budge, your choice is "Does this product do everything I want it do/or nearly everything" if the iPhone fits that then that's a fine choice, if it doesn't then you can go choose something else. It's Apple's party, and they'll approve if they want to. They just don't, because they don't think it's what the majority of their customer base wants.
SonicSoul 14y ago
i recently re-installed ES File Explorer and was floored with how much work went into it! i've used it years ago so i could see the difference. it is now also an app manager, ftp client, bluetooth/network explorer.. and it's FREE! i'm also not seeing any ads. how can they afford to put so much work into this app?
- runjake 14y ago
  I'd start by checking their privacy policy.

cma 14y ago

There's a 'Downloads' folder on Android, which at least covers most use cases.