Windows 11’s File Explorer isn’t exactly a panacea, but that doesn’t mean it’s devoid of useful features. It turns out that the latter is not only used to explore the files on your PC, you can also view those of your Android device, if you know how to configure it, of course.
Microsoft recently announced the rollout of a feature that allows you to view your Android device from File Explorer on your PC. Once enabled, this feature allows you to navigate through the folders and files on your Android device and perform a number of actions:
Open files
Copy Files from Your Android Device to Your PC
Copy files from your PC to your Android device
Rename files
Move files
Delete files
All of this is possible thanks to the Link to Windows app, which allows you to pair your Android device to your PC, including the ability to reply to messages, take calls, and view Android notifications on your computer.
Access your Android files from your PC
To try this feature, your smartphone must be running Android 11 or newer. You also need the beta version of the Link to Windows app (version 1.24071 or newer), as the current public version of the app will not work. You can download the beta version from this APKMirror link. On the Windows side, your PC must be enrolled in the Windows Insider Program (any of the four Insider Channels allows you to take advantage of it) and you must be on Windows 11.
Make sure Link to Windows is set up and connected to your phone. Once all of this is in place, go to your PC, then to Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Mobile Devices. Then choose “Manage Devices”. Make sure your phone is turned on, then turn on the slider next to “Access in File Explorer.” Microsoft says that if you don’t see this slider, the feature isn’t available to you yet.
As the latter is still being tested, there may still be a number of bugs. For example, Microsoft says that when you delete files from your phone to your computer, they are sent to a new Trash folder on the phone, before being deleted after five days. (The system will tell you 30 days, be careful, you don’t have that much time before they are permanently deleted.) In addition, the Redmond company explains that the files deleted in this new Recycle Bin may not appear on your PC.
Finally, you may find that some actions performed on your PC are not reflected on your phone. If this is the case, simply log out your Windows account on your PC and then log in again.
