Downloads on android

When you put webpages and media files onto a web server, it is known as Uploading. For example, posting a selfie on Instagram story. When you save webpages and media files from a web server to your phone or PC or any other device, it is called Downloading. For example, downloading music from Spotify. The operating system, and even most apps, are programmed to use this folder as the default download location. Once a download is done, Android will notify you — usually at the top part of your screen — that it has indeed finished downloading the file.

Tapping on this notification will either open the file directly with an associated app, or open the folder where it is saved. The icon will also be recognizable — a file folder or an envelope-shaped icon. This should be easy to do, as file manager apps tend to display folders alphabetically.

You will need an associated app to open or access the file you downloaded. Allow me to make two recommendations. One the more popular file manager apps is ES File Explorer. You can download this and then use it as your file manager app.

You can now locate your Downloads folder using this app, as it also has a text search function. That said, the app is free-to-download, so it will show you ads from time to time. ES File Explorer also has added features which you may or may not want. It is a solid file manager app, and we can recommend it for the task at hand.

The app is free to use, but it has virtually zero ads, which is always a good thing. It provides a more feature-rich file manager, something that the more technically savvy will appreciate. For the task at hand, it is more than capable to show you where your downloads are.

Say that you downloaded an image a few days back, and you may have accidentally deleted it. You can still easily get that image back — or any other download you did on the Chrome browser — for that matter, because the Chrome app remembers your downloads.

Open up the Chrome browser app, which most people use as their default smartphone internet browser. Tap on the menu button to the left of the address bar the three dots button , and then tap on Downloads. The following menu will show you all your recent downloads, and you can just tap on one to re-download it. If connecting your Android device to your Windows computer is easier for you, then you can also use this to find the Downloads folder in Android.

Plug in to a USB port on your computer and wait for your computer to accept the connection. You can even save the said file on your computer if you want to use it at some other time. Personally, I believe this is the easiest method to find and open downloaded files on Android. Not only the downloads, even the files from Google apps like Docs, Slides, Sheets, etc.. To open downloads from Google Drive , open the Google Drive app. Some Android devices will have a file manager already pre-installed, usually on older versions of Android.

My go-to file manager for Android is Total Commander. To find a list of all the downloaded files with the help of a file manager app, simply open it to find a list of directories on your device. Once you locate the folder, go ahead and open it up, and then find a folder called Downloads.

Open the folder to see a list of all your downloaded files. In some cases you will also get a notification on your Android device asking you to choose what you want to do with your USB connection. To find downloaded apps, go to Settings and find Applications. All of the apps you've downloaded will be here. Not Helpful 8 Helpful I downloaded my info from Facebook, and it says it's ready to view, but when I click in the file it says no app is downloaded.

What should I do? Try uninstalling and reinstalling the Facebook app. The Facebook icon on your screen may not actually be the app. Sometimes these icons linger for a little while after an app is uninstalled. Not Helpful 6 Helpful Razberry Brown. You can download one from the net. There are various types to sort through and select your best from the net.

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 5. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube.

Related wikiHows How to. How to. About This Article. Most Android devices now come with some sort of file manager preinstalled, and for those that don't, there's a better alternative anyway. Left: Files app on a Pixel 3. By far the easiest way to find downloaded files on Android is to look in your app drawer for an app called Files or My Files. Regardless of which device, once you find and open the file manager, use it to look for the Downloads folder and open it. There you will find your downloaded files in chronological order newest to oldest, in most cases.

You can, however, change how the files are sorted.