3 Amazing Features of the Files App from Google

All operating systems, mobile or desktop, rely heavily on file management for their efficient performance and device management. As a user of Android, I always felt the need for an efficient and powerful file management app that could give me the same kind of functionality and feel that I get using Windows. The “Files” app from the technology giant Google certainly is one such app.

The “Files” app is pretty powerful, and it is more than just a file management app. Although, the main and the most widely known feature of the “Files” app is memory management. There are other very useful features provided by the “Files” app the user should be using regularly. In this article, I will discuss those less known or unused features of the “Files” app and also provide a step-by-step guide on how to use them. Let’s begin with the trash folder first.

Also read: 2 Simple Methods To Send Executable (exe) Files Through Gmail

1. Trash Folder

An important feature required on Android and provided by the “Files” app, is MS Windows-like Recycle Bin functionally. The “Files” app calls this functionality by the name “Trash”. However, this must be noted that the “Trash” functionality is not a system-wide service and only works for the files deleted using the“Files” app itself. Follow the following steps to see this feature in action. Let’s first delete a file using the “Files” app and then try to locate it in the “Trash” folder.

Step 1: Launch the “Files” app and tap on the “Browse” button to locate the file you want to delete.

Step 2: Delete the file by tapping on the three vertical dots in front of it and then selecting the “Move to Trash” option in the popup window.

Step 3: The app will ask for your confirmation to move the file to the “Trash”. Tap on the blue button, “Move” to confirm.

Step 4: Now go back to the main interface of the “Files” app and tap on the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner of the screen.

Step 5: In the pop-up window, tap on the “Trash” option to display the contents of the “Trash” folder, which gets deleted automatically after 30 days.

Step 6: You can restore a file or delete it immediately by selecting it and then tapping on the appropriate button at the bottom of the screen.

2. Safe Folder

“Safe folder” of the files’ app is simply a locked folder where you can put your important files or personal images and videos. It is secured by the password or a screen lock that you are already using on your phone. To use it, proceed as follows.

Step 1: Launch the “Files” app and browse for the file you want to move to the “Safe folder”.

Step 2: Tapping on the three vertical dots in front of it and then selecting “Move to Safe folder” in the popup window.

Step 3: Next authenticate yourself by using the same information you use to unlock your phone. A message will appear at the bottom of the screen that the file has been moved.

Step 4: Now go back to the main interface of the “Files” app, scroll down and tap on the “Safe folder” icon at the bottom left of the screen and authenticate yourself to see its contents.

Step 5: To move the file out of the safe folder or delete it, tap on the three vertical dots in front of it and then tap on the appropriate option in the popup window.

3. File Sharing

One powerful feature of the “Files” app that Android users might not be using or aware of is file-sharing with nearby Android devices. You might have faced the frustration of sharing large files with another device when using Bluetooth due to extremely low transfer speeds. The “Files” app file sharing functionality can help you immensely in this regard as per Google’s claim, it can transfer up to 480 Mbps. So it’s ideal for large-size file sharing. Follow the following steps to use this feature.

Step 1: Run the “Files” app and, in the main interface, tap on the “Share” button towards the lower right of the screen.

Step 2: Next, tap on the blue “Send” button.

Step 3: Browse to locate the file you want to send and tap on it to select it, and then click on the blue “Send” button at the bottom of the screen.

Step 4: The app will ask for your permission to turn on Nearby Share, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity if you are using it for the first time. Tap on the blue “Turn on” button to allow it.

Step 5: You should perform the same steps in parallel on the “Files” app of the receiving device, but tap on the blue “Receive” in Step 2 of this section.

Step 6: On the sending device, the “Files” app will start discovering the nearby devices, and when the required device shows up on the screen, tap on it to select it to start the file transfer.

Also read: Here’s How To Open Zip Files on Android Using Files By Google App

Wrapping up

In this article, I have discussed the use of 3 extremely useful features of the“Files” app from Google, which are usually not known or not used commonly by Android users. To perform these functions, the users would typically require specialized third-party apps. But since the “Files” app already has these functions, Android users do not need to look elsewhere for these functions.