Mi File Explorer: MIUI File Explorer app even for non-MIUI phones

The Chinese ROM MIUI has been a huge hit among Android device users, and with good reason. This ROM brings with it a unique user interface, as well as several features that are sure to get other custom ROM users envious. One of the best features that MIUI packs is its file explorer, giving you access to browse your locally stored media and your SD card.

Now, even non-MIUI phone users can enjoy MIUI’s handy file browser. XDA Developers senior member apooonet has managed to port MIUI’s native File Explorer, maintaining not only its look but also the device’s ability to browse locally stored media, SD cards, and even the device’s root directory.

The Mi File Explorer gives users the Browse, SD Card and FTP tabs. Tapping on the Browse tab allows you to navigate through your locally stored media, such as  music, videos, photos, documents, zips, APKs and more. You’ll find the size of each media type on the bottom of the screen, as well as how much of your SD card’s storage space you’re currently using and how much space you still have left available.

The SD Card tab allows you explore your device’s internal and SD card storage. Mi File Explorer also gives you the option to delete, copy, move, and rename your files. It also gives you the ability to archive files into ZIPs and to extract contents of ZIPs.

The developer recently released Mi File Explorer version 2.3.7.24, with fixes to the previously unusable FTP tab. It now works like a charm. Tap on the FTP tab and Mi File Explorer will give you an FTP address to enter into your FTP client. Using this feature, you’ll be able to wirelessly transfer files between your Android device and your computer.

The Mi File Explorer appears to be compatible with any Android ROMs running Android 2.2 Froyo or higher, and Android devices that have been rooted. Despite those requirements, Mi File Explorer is a great file browser for Android.

Naturally, as this app is still less than a month old, at the time of this writing, there are still a few bugs that need working on. Some of the categories, for example, may work on all ROMs but remain rather slow. According to the developers, they’re currently working on a complete custom category, an option to hide/show directory from media scanners, speeding up the category list search for some ROMs, and the option to browse through a ZIP file before extracting its contents. Those updates are definitely worth keeping an eye out for.

If you’d like to be able to navigate your Android device’s files with the MIUI experience, you can download Mi File Explorer from apooonet‘s thread in the XDA Developers forum. If English is not your native language, the thread also has language packs for Spanish, German, and French.  You can get the APK file of the app from the development thread and install it to your rooted device.  If you need help with rooting your Android device, check out our introductory guide to rooting on Android.

What file explorer app runs on your Android device?