16 Things You Didn’t Know Your ES File Explorer Can Do

ES file explorer is a popular file manager app; that everyone has, but no one uses it quite well.

On the surface it may looks like a regular file manager app. But if you dig deeper, you will be surprised to see its potential. This single app can do work of more than 10 apps. For instance using ES file explorer you can extract .apk & uninstall multiple apps at once, access your computer over WiFi, create encrypted folders, edit host files etc etc.

1. Access your Computer from Android over WiFi 

This option enable you to browse your computer directly from your android. Open your ES file explore and goto Fast Access menu by swiping the screen from left to right.

Tap on Network > LAN > Scan on ES file explorer.

2. Browsing android files from your PC   

This is helpful, while transferring files from PC to android. Before knowing about this feature, I used Airdroid, but not anymore.

From your ES file explorer > Network >  Remote Manager > turn ON.

Once you start the service, ES file manager will display a ftp url. Enter it, in any computer’s browser (connected to same WiFi network as your android) and access content of your android SD card.

3. Quickly Uninstall multiple apps  

To uninstall multiple apps at once, open your ES file explorer > Library > App. Select the apps you want to uninstall and tap on uninstall. All the selected apps will be uninstall one by one.

4. Hiding media from gallery 

If you wish to hide content of any folder, from appearing in your gallery (or photo for lollipop users) then simply rename the folder, by adding a full stop in front of its name.

For example, to hide WhatsApp images from appearing in your gallery, simply navigate to ‘WhatsApp_image‘ folder on your SD card and rename the folder name to ‘.WhatsApp_images‘.

5. Extract apk from your install apps  

From quick access menu > goto library > Apps > select the application whose .apk you want to extract > and select backup option from bottom menu.

6. Quickly Transfer big files between two Android  

Connect the two android under same WiFi network. If you don’t have WiFi then you can even connect them with device’s hotspot.

Launch ES file manager > choose the files you want to transfer > then tap on the send option > it will list the other android, select it and tap on send.

7. Remove pre-installed system apps [ROOT]

To uninstall system apps launch file explorer > root explorer > turn it on > tap on the root explore name > select ‘uninstall system app’ from the pop menu.

A window will open with list of all system apps, select the app you want to uninstall and tap on the uninstall app at the bottom.

8. Installing Any App As System App [ROOT]  

This is done in 2 part.

First move the apk of the app that you want to install as system app. To do this copy the apk in the clipboard and navigate to Local > device > system > app, and paste your apk.

Second part requires you to, change its permission. This can be done selecting the apk, you have just paste > tap on ‘more’ at the bottom right > select permission > change the permission to what shown below.

Read detail guide at Addictivetips.

9. Deleting pattern lock on android  [ROOT] 

Android pattern is store is ‘gesture.key’ file found under  Local > device > data > system. If you delete this file, then your lock pattern will be disabled however, it will disable your pattern lock. So you will still have pattern lock, but it can be open with any pattern. This is cool to trick prank your friends

10. Increase your flappy bird score [ROOT]  

Install flappy bird and play it for once. Now from your ES file explorer, navigate to flappy bird’s data folder. It can be found under Local > device > data > data > com.dotgears.flappybird >shared_pref > flappyBird.xml.

Edit the flappybird.xml file and put any score, you want under value field. Save the change and close the file. Next time you open flappy bird your score will change to what you set.

11. Create an encrypted files with password protection

If you have sensitive data in your android, that you don’t want other to see, For instance a private video or images. then the best approach is to encrypt it, with password protecting. right ?

Well look no further, because using ES file manager you can encrypt any files, with password protection. And once you that the content will automatically be hidden from your gallery as well.

12. Edit host files on android [root]

Like Computer OS, android also has a host file, which is used to map host names to IP addresses.

But if you want to block a particular website for your children, or for any other reason , you can simple edit the host file by mapping the website name to localhost ie your own android.

Go to your host file from device > system > etc > hosts. Edit the host file using ES text editor and put the localhost ip addresses (127.0.0.1) in front of the domain name of website you wan to block. (see screenshot)

13. Save files directly to your Dropbox & Google drive

Very few people know, that ES file explore has built-in cloud storage. This is helpful because you don’t need to install third-party application for Dropbox or Google drive.

Moreover moving files between cloud storage and your SD card is much quicker as this feature is build in right into your file manager.

14. Use ES file explorer as browser

Another less known feature of ES file manager is built-in Internet apps like Facebook, Google and YouTube.

Now this is not substitution of original Facebook app or browser like chrome. but you can use them when your friends want to login to their account but you don’t want to sing out.

15. Mount Pen drive on Android using ES file manager [root]

To do this trick, you will need- OTG cable, rooted android device that support OTG cable, pen drive, ES file explorer and stick mount android app.

Install stick mount on your android and connect the USB end of otg cable, to pen drive and micro USB end to your android. After successful connection, the app will popup a alert box, listing the directory where you’ll find your files in the file explorer app.

For steps by step instruction check out this article on greenbot.

16. Extract the content of any Android App

This is useful, when you are playing game on your Android and want see its music file, or you want to extract images from wallpaper apps etc.

Start by taking the backup of the app, (see 5) and once you get its apk extract it. You will notice couple of files. Music and images files are usually found in the assets folder. See the screenshot below.