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Android finally gets a built-in (but very basic) file explorer in 6.0 Marshmallow

Android has come a long way since the very first version was unveiled in 2007, but one surprisingly basic feature has remained absent from the OS after all this time: a built-in file explorer.

Despite adding a number of useful and impressive new features to Android over the years, Google has never integrated the ability to view all of the files on your device... until now. However, don't get too excited - this is seriously barebones stuff.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow is the very latest version of the operating system, and it began rolling out to some Nexus devices last week. Today, as Phandroid reports, Marshmallow includes a hidden file explorer - indeed, it's not labelled as such, and it's under a few layers of menus:

  • Open the Settings app
  • Go to Storage and USB
  • Scroll down, tap Explore

The file explorer itself is seriously basic stuff though - you can browse, search, sort and filter, but there's not much more functionality beyond that. If you're looking for more complex file management features, you should stick with one of the many third-party alternatives available via the Google Play store.

Source: Phandroid

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