Every Android TV user needs to install a file manager for a couple of reasons. First, Android TV doesn’t have a native file explorer. Second, since many app developers haven’t yet made their apps compatible with Android TV, you’ll need a file explorer to sideload APK files for apps that aren’t available in the Play Store.
Here are some of the best file managers for Android TV.
Most importantly, all the apps are easy to navigate using the Android TV remote. Sideloaded file explorers often require an external mouse or game controller to operate, so we'll avoid those.
The first option I recommend is X-plore File Manager. It uses a two-pane approach to file management. This is great in the context of external sideloading. The two panes make it easy to move APKs from USB to Android TV storage.
The downside is that it is not really user friendly. While it is not complicated, it does take some time to get used to how the app works.
The important thing about an Android TV file manager is that it can also connect to your cloud drive. Since many people use Android TV to watch personal media (like DVDs you've burned to your hard drive or home videos you've converted to digital format), having a quick way to access and play cloud-based videos means you can easily watch your content from anywhere in the world.
To add a cloud drive, go to Web Storage > Add Storage in the left panel. It works with Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, Amazon Cloud Drive, OneDrive, Flickr, and many more.
The final useful feature from an Android TV perspective is Wi-Fi file transfer. If you have files on your laptop that you want to view on your TV, sending them over is a breeze – no cables or USB required!
Total Commander will be familiar to many users. It's one of the best file managers for Android on mobile devices. However, it also works great with Android TV and is packed with features that are especially useful for big screens.
First, the app offers native support for Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and Dropbox. The article discussed the value of having access to such services.
Second, it offers a built-in media player. While long-time Android users may initially balk at the idea of having a media player as part of a file manager, Total Commander’s media player has one important feature. It can stream directly from LAN, WebDAV, and cloud plugins.
Finally, Total Commander offers a wide range of plugins. They provide everything from WebDAV functionality to FTP and SFTP clients. Sure, they sound technical, but if you’ve ever bought an Android TV device, you’ll quickly understand their value.
3. TvExplorer
Unlike X-plore File Manager and Total Commander, TvExplorer is not available on the mobile version of Android. You can only find this app through the Play Store on your Android TV device.
Since it's an Android TV exclusive, the app adheres to Android TV design guidelines, so TvExplorer is arguably the best-looking app here. And when you're viewing an app on a 60-inch screen, that's a big deal.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite match the other two apps in terms of features. It does the basics (like renaming files and extracting ZIP files ) but not much else. There’s no way to connect to apps like Google Drive and Dropbox. There is, however, a Wi-Fi file transfer feature.
If you are constantly having trouble with device storage, try AnExplorer File Manager. It is a super lightweight app adapted for the Android TV interface. It only takes up 3MB on your device and supports cloud storage.
AnExplorer has another important feature that is incredibly useful: Accessibility tools. These include custom high-contrast themes, adjustable text size, and in-app sounds.
Solid Explorer is one of the best file explorers for Android TV. Unlike some of the other apps we have reviewed, this one has a native Android TV version that you can install directly from your device.
The app uses a two-panel approach to file management, both of which can function as standalone file browsers. It supports FTP, SFTP, WebDav, SMB/CIFS clients, allows root access, and even lets you password protect files.
Solid Explorer is also much more customizable than many other Android TV file managers. You can add your own icon sets, color schemes, themes, and more. Solid Explorer is not free. After a 14-day free trial, you will have to pay $2.
6. Access Android TV on local network
Instead of listing another app, this article will give you a slightly different suggestion. Why not avoid installing a file explorer on your Android TV device and just use File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) instead?
To use your computer as a file explorer for Android TV, you'll need to enable the feature on your device. Go to Settings > Storage and Reset > Storage Access and slide the switch next to Over local network to On . Your device will provide you with a username and password; remember them.
Next, on your Windows computer, type \\SHIELD in File Explorer. On your Mac, go to Go > Connect to Server and type smb://SHIELD/. Enter your username and password when prompted, and you'll have access to all the files and folders on your device.
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