I tried every free file manager on Android, and this is the one that didn’t annoy me
The one to keep tabs on.
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Question: What's your go-to file manager on Android?
I'm absolutely certain a large part of the Android population either uses Google Files or the default file manager that ships with their phone, and only a small swath of users ever bothers to use a custom one.
Well, I'm part of the latter group, and as someone who loves tinkering with their Android phone and using it to the maximum of its abilities, the file manager of choice should be great, not good.
Solid Explorer is an excellent file manager
That's how I stumbled upon Solid Explorer. It's been ten years and some change since I purchased this app on the Play Store. Ever since, I've installed it on any Android phone I've used over the years and have been relying on it exclusively for my go-to file managing needs.
At its core, Solid Explorer comes with all the essential features that constitute a great file manager for your device. Advanced file and folder exploring? Check. Comprehensive theming and some advanced customization? Also check. The ability to extract and compress archives without requiring an extra app? You bet.
Turning your phone in landscape mode also enables Solid Explorer's dual-pane layout, which makes it easy to move, extract, or copy/paste files and folders from one location to another with a simple drag and drop.
But it's so much more than a basic file explorer for your device.
You can link a plethora of third-party services inside Solid Explorer, so connecting your Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive account is a breeze. You can also add Samba servers over LAN, FTP/SFTP servers, WebDAV, and more.
Some stiff competition out there
How does Solid Explorer compare to some of its rivals?
Well, I can immediately pinpoint one minor gripe I have with Solid Explorer: it's not open-source. See, I'm not that quirky Linux guy, but whenever possible, I like my software to be FOSS. Solid Explorer isn't that, but I haven't had any issues with it so far; its closed-source nature hasn't bothered me thus far.
There are other file explorers that are often thrown in the conversation for "best one out there", but there's a pretty important nuance here. Some, like MiXplorer, are too feature-rich and bloated, catering to super-advanced and niche users out there, those who absolutely need the ability to create symlinks on their Android for some reason.
To me, Solid Explorer tickles the very fine line between ultra-capable and very approachable, and this, combined with my over decade-long relationship with it, makes it my file manager of choice on Android.
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