File Manager, File Picker for Windows Phone 8.1

 

Update: If you create your own folders in your phone using Windows Explorer, the same may not be listed under “Phone folders” service provider. We guess the API what provided by Microsoft restricts the access to a pre-defined list of folders as listed below

  1. Pictures
  2. Music
  3. Videos
  4. documents
  5. downloads
  6. ringtones

Anything other than the listed above, ie, folders created by the phone user will not be listed or available to attach with “Pocket File Manager” app!

 

I recall the furious arguments and personal level attacks over Microsoft tech forums about missing file manager over Windows Phone platform until recent days & joe belfiore during reddit AMA got all excited when one of the participants shot a question about “File manager”

joeredditama

We “heard” about it earlier, through some leaks, didn’t ? Anyway, the official app for the file explorer should be available by the end of May 2014, and the speculations are that, the file explorer will be bundled along with “OneDrive” application. let us wait and see how the implementation is going to happen.

Meanwhile let us assess couple of third party applications what are already available for managing your files (Music/Video/Documents/Downloads) in your phone!

During next few days we will be analyzing

  1. Pocket File Manager(Paid, you can try)
  2. Pocket Explorer(Paid, you can try)

apps which are already available in the Windows Phone store. We already bought Pocket File Manager (PFM as widely called by techies) and had few hands on exercises and very much pleased with the end results.

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We opted to keep the “Warning” (Should it be called as “Quick help”?) appearing each time while the app is restarted

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When the app is initially used, the “Root” has it’s own file system called “Local storage” with few sample folders and files. We will not be digging much into it as our primary aim is to see “what else we could do with the file manager”. The below image shows the couple of “Phone folders” we have added to the app by following instructions. Touch the + button and, you will be provided two options

“add image”(Capitalization standards)? Winking smile

“Add Provider”

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Now you can select a provider from total seven (7) available right now as on while this document is prepared (this list could grow with later versions)

For our exercise we will select “Phone folder” and proceed

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Once the “Phone Folder” selected, you will be provided a windows listing available Phone folders what you can attach with this little wonderful app!

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Now touch the folder name you want to attach with the app and touch the done (tick) button!

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The app may say the folder is empty, just ignore and complete the activity

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Touch the folder name you just attached with the app and wait few seconds…and the file listing starts building up! You can use the refresh button if you think the listing was not done completely (which is almost a never happening case)

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The beauty with such a listing is, you can almost do all file manipulations against the chosen file!

Have a look at the features

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So, if you were eager for a file manager, you may don’t have to wait until May 2014, you can start exploring the possibilities of these applications which will not burn holes in your pockets and start managing your files as you wished until recent days.

 

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rajesh