In this article, I will explain a simple method that you can employ to locate your required data. I will also explain the steps you can take to find your missing files.
Locate files using the File Explorer
All Android versions come with a default file explorer that you can use to browse your local memory and find your required files and folders. Although the name of this application might be different in different Android versions and across different vendor-specific user interfaces, it can be easily spotted and used. In my case on my Realme phone with Android 11, I have three file manager applications by default. Two are by the name “File Manager” and the third one from Google called Files. In this article, I will explain how to locate files on Android using the Files app as it’s available on almost all newer Android phones. If you do not have this app installed on your phone, you can install the Files app from the Google Play Store for free.
Using Files app
Step 1: Open the Files application and it will open all the files stored on your local phone memory across several categories. Such as “Images”, “Videos”, “Downloads”, “Documents and others”, etc. Step 2: Tap on the folder where you think your required file might be. For example tap on the “Download” folder if your file was downloaded from the Internet or the “Images” or the “Videos” folder if you are looking for an image or video captured with your phone’s camera, respectively. Step 3: Inside each folder, there might be additional folders in the form of different tabs at the top of the app. The number and type of these subfolders depend upon the contents of the folder and the sources of the file. Step 4: Explore your local storage file system for the required file using folders and the subfolders and then swipe down to look for the required file.
Find missing files on Android
If you cannot find your file using the above-explained steps, there might still be hope if you have not deleted it. You can use the following two methods to dig further.
Method 1: Look for app-specific folders
Some applications store their data using their specific folders rather than the general folders provided by the Android file system. Therefore if you remember the application with which you downloaded or sent/received the file, you can follow the following steps to find it. Let’s assume you are looking for a text or PDF document. Step 1: Open the Files app and tap on the “Documents and other” folder. Step 2: On the top, you will find tabs belonging to different applications that you are using on your phone. Swipe left if you cannot find the app with which you sent or received the file you are looking for. Once you locate the required tab, tap on it and you will see all the files, that particular app was used for downloading or sending/receiving files.
Method 2: Search for the file
If you still cannot locate your file, you can search for it on your phone’s memory, provided that you remember its name or part of its name. For this purpose proceed as follows: Step 1: Run the Files app and tap on the magnifying glass icon at the top-right corner. Step 2: In the search box, start typing the name of your file. As you type the name of your file the Files app will show you the results of the search. Check if your required file is there in the search results.
Conclusion
Sometimes locating your files on Android can be a daunting task. The Files app from Google makes this task easy by providing you with powerful browsing and search options. The Files app also has some additional features such as freeing storage space and file sharing etc. that you might find interesting.
