Modern smartphones have turned into powerful multimedia centers where gigabytes of photos, documents, music and application installation files are stored. Often, users are faced with a situation where the standard display of folders and files becomes inconvenient to navigate. Interface Explorer may not show the necessary details or hide important system partitions, which makes it difficult to find information. Changing the viewing method allows you to adapt the screen to specific tasks, be it sorting by date or displaying hidden files.
In this article we will look in detail at how to change the way you view files on Android using built-in system tools and third-party solutions. You'll learn how to switch between list and grid modes, customize sorting, and change content display options. Android provides flexible tools for managing files, but access to them may vary depending on the shell version and device model. Understanding these nuances will help you effectively organize your digital space.
Regardless of whether you are using a budget device or a flagship, the principles of organizing the file system remain similar. We will look at universal methods that work on most versions of the operating system. Correctly setting the folder layout saves time and reduces the risk of deleting important data by mistake. Let's move on to the practical steps to change display settings.
Standard display settings in system explorer
Most devices running Android equipped with a built-in file manager, which is often called “Files”, “My Files” or “Files by Google”. This is where the main set of tools for managing the appearance of content is located. To change the display method, you need to open the application and find the settings menu, which is usually hidden under an icon with three dots or horizontal stripes. Navigation This menu allows you to quickly switch between different data visualization modes.
Depending on the version of the operating system, the interface may offer different options for presenting information. The two main modes most commonly available are Grid (tiles) and List (detailed view). Grid mode is convenient for viewing photos and videos, as it allows you to see file previews. List mode is more informative for documents and system folders, where the name, size and modification date are important.
⚠️ Attention: The standard Explorer interface may differ significantly on smartphones from different manufacturers, such as Samsung, Xiaomi or Huawei. If you do not find the options described below, check for updates for the Files application in the store Google Play.
To switch modes, you often just need to click on the special icon at the top of the screen, which looks like several horizontal lines or squares. In some shells, for example One UI from Samsung, view settings are placed in a separate menu "View" or "Sorting and View". Here you can not only select the display type, but also adjust the size of icons or the density of elements on the screen.
In the Explorer settings, you should look for the “Apply to all folders” item if you want to unify the appearance of the file system. This is especially useful if you work with a large amount of data and need a single display standard.
Using third-party file managers
If the functionality of the standard application is not enough for you, the best solution would be to install a third-party file manager. Applications such as Total Commander, Solid Explorer or FX File Exploreroffer advanced interface customization options. They allow you to configure in detail exactly how files will be displayed, adding columns with information, changing fonts and themes.
In advanced managers, you can create several viewing profiles for different types of content. For example, for a folder with documents, you can enable the display of file extensions and the exact size in bytes, and for media files, you can activate large thumbnails. Customization The interface in such applications is almost limitless and depends only on your preferences.
When installing a third-party file manager, be sure to give it permission to access all files in the Android privacy settings, otherwise the application will not be able to display the contents of the memory.
One of the key features of third-party solutions is support for plugins and extensions that change the way specific formats are viewed. You can add support for archives, cloud storage, or FTP servers directly into the Explorer interface. This turns the smartphone into a full-fledged tool for working with data of any complexity.
Many users also choose third-party solutions because of the ability to split the screen into two panels. This allows you to simultaneously see the contents of two different folders and quickly move files between them. This viewing mode is not available in most standard applications, but is extremely useful for organizing the file system.
☑️ Criteria for choosing a file manager
Setting up sorting and grouping of files
Changing the viewing method is inextricably linked with sorting data. Even if you have chosen the perfect visual style, it will be difficult to find the file you need without the correct sorting. In the folder settings menu, the “Sort by” item is usually available, where you can select the ordering criterion: by name, date, size or file type.
Particular attention should be paid to the grouping function. Modern file managers can automatically group files into categories, for example, “Today”, “Last week”, “Images”, “Documents”. This changes the way information is perceived, turning a chaotic list into a structured feed. Grouping especially effective in galleries and when viewing downloads.
| Sorting criteria | When to use | Advantages |
|---|---|---|
| By name (A-Z) | Search for a specific file by known name | Alphabetical order speeds up the search |
| By date modified | Search for recently edited files documents | Recent files are always at the top of the list |
| By size | Cleaning memory, searching for heavy content | Allows you to quickly find files that take up a lot of space |
| By type | Working with a specific format (photos only or pdf only) | Filters what is unnecessary, leaving only what is necessary |
In some cases, sorting may become confusing after updating the system or application. If you notice that the files are no longer in a logical order, check your folder settings again. Sometimes the system defaults to sorting "By frequency of use", which can be inconvenient for searching old archives.
⚠️ Attention: Sorting by size does not always show the actual weight of the folder if it contains hidden system files or application caches. For an accurate analysis of disk space, use specialized tools.
Showing hidden files and system folders
One of the most important functions for advanced users is the ability to see hidden files. By default Android hides files and folders whose names begin with a dot, as well as system directories to prevent accidental deletion of critical data. However, for deep customization or garbage cleaning, this mode must be disabled.
To change this setting, open the settings menu of your file manager (usually three dots in the corner) and find the "Show hidden files" switch. After activating this option, you will see translucent icons of files that were previously invisible. System files Often have specific extensions and names, so be careful when working with them.
Which files are dangerous to delete?
Never delete files with the .apk extension if not sure of their origin, as well as folders with the names of system processes (for example, android, data, obb). Deleting files from system partitions can lead to unstable operation of applications or complete inoperability of the smartphone.
Enabling the display of hidden files radically changes the way you view them: the list can increase several times. Application configuration files, temporary logs and cache will appear. This gives complete control over the device, but requires increased care. It is recommended to hide system files again after completing the necessary operations.
It is worth noting that on new versions of Android (starting from 11th) access to root directories and some system folders is limited by Scoped Storage security policies. Even enabling the display of hidden files may not allow access to certain partitions without root access. This restriction is designed to protect user data from malware.
Problems with encoding and display of file names
Sometimes users encounter a problem when file names are displayed as a set of incomprehensible characters or “crazy words”. This indicates a problem with the text encoding. The file system may use one encoding (for example, UTF-8), and the file manager tries to read names in another (for example, Windows-1251). You can change the decoding method in the settings of the explorer application itself.
In advanced managers, such as MX Player for video or specialized archivers, there is often a separate section “Text Encoding” or “Character Set”. Trying out the options (UTF-8, Cyrillic, Windows-1251) usually allows you to return the file names to a readable form. This is especially true when transferring data from old devices or computers.
If the problem concerns the display of previews (thumbnails) of photos or videos, then the reason may lie in a damaged thumbnail cache. In this case, clearing the cache of the Files application itself through the Android settings helps. After resetting the cache, the system will rescan the media files and create correct previews.
⚠️ Attention: If, after changing the encoding, the file names have changed irreversibly (the characters have been replaced with others), do not save the changes. Return the original encoding to avoid damaging the file naming structure.
Problems with reading file names can be resolved by changing the encoding in the application settings, rather than manually renaming each file.
Optimizing browsing for different types of content
Effective file management requires a different approach to different types of data. A viewing method that is ideal for documents may not be ideal for photographs. Modern file managers allow you to adapt the interface to a specific task. For example, when working with office documents, it is better to use a detailed list displaying the date of modification.
For multimedia content, the gallery mode with large thumbnails is preferable. Some applications automatically detect the content type of a folder and suggest the optimal view. If this does not happen, you can manually switch modes through the "View" menu. Multimedia files require more resources to render previews, so on older devices it is better to disable the generation of thumbnails to speed up the work.
It is also worth considering the screen orientation. In landscape mode (horizontally) on tablets or when rotating a smartphone, it is convenient to use two-panel mode. In portrait mode (vertical), a single-column list or grid works better. Automatic screen rotation helps you quickly change the way you interact with files.
Do not forget to regularly audit the “Downloads” folder, since this is where miscellaneous content accumulates. Setting up sorting by date in this folder will help you quickly find fresh files and remove old application installers.
☑️ Optimization for photos and videos
How to enable display of file extensions on Android?
To enable extensions (for example.jpg.pdf), you usually need to go to the file manager settings. Find the item "Show file extensions" or "File extensions" and activate it. Some standard explorers may not have this function, then a third-party application will be required.
Why are files displayed with gray icons?
Gray icons mean that a handler application is not installed for this file type or the icon cache is damaged. Try installing an application that opens this format, or clear the file manager cache.
Is it possible to change the font in the file manager?
Standard explorers rarely allow you to change the font separately from the system. However, third-party applications, such as Solid Explorer, support themes and can inherit fonts installed on the system through global themes.
How to return the standard appearance of files after changes?
In the Explorer settings menu there is often a "Reset Settings" or "Default" button. You can also clear application data in the Android settings, which will return all parameters to factory settings.