There is no shortage of excellent file managers for Android, likely because the OS allows users full access to their important documents and photos.
One of the longest-lasting apps has been Metago’s Astro File Manager, which has been giving users access to their important directory structures since Android 1.5. But the company has not been sitting on its hand; the app has gone through several design iterations, the latest of which brings it comfortably into the modern cloud era.
No longer merely a local respository, Astro now provides access to Dropbox, SkyDrive, Google Drive and, in the latest update, Facebook, through the companies’ APIs. Integration is seamless, allowing you to skip logging in if you’re already running the app on your device. The new version also brings a very robust photo viewer, though it’s not quite versatile to make me switch from the excellent QuickPic.
Astro uses the “swipe-from-the-sides” navigation method: swipe to the right for quick access to your local and cloud-based files, your quick searches such as Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos and Files, along with any documents you’ve recently opened. Swiping to the left from the main screen brings up the Tools and Settings bar, which shows you SD Card usage and the built-in Task Killer, which is to this day a very popular, if unnecessary, aspect of using Android.
The app is ad-supported, but the ads are unobtrusive and keep it free. There is a $3.99 Pro key to remove the ads which may be worth it for someone who uses the app a lot.
Download Astro File Manager for Android.
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