How do I browse files on an Xperia device? (Android 8.x)

Question

• How can I browse files on my phone?

Valid for

• Android 8.0 (Oreo)
• Android 8.1 (Oreo)

Solution

Browse your files:

• Directly on the device
• By connecting the device via a USB cable to a computer

Browsing files directly on your Android device

You can browse photos, videos or audio tracks on your device using pre-installed applications such as the Album, Music and Video applications.

Alternatively, you can use a file manager application for viewing, searching, renaming and organising your files and folders. File manager applications are available for download from Google Play Store.

There is also a pre-installed file manager.

To browse files using the built-in file manager

1. Find and tap the Files app . It's sometimes placed in the Other folder on the Applications screen.
2. If the device has an SD card, tap > Show internal storage. If not, go to step 3.
3. Tap .
4. Tap  to browse the internal storage,   SD Card (if available) to browse an external memory card or Drive (if available) to access files on your Google Drive.

Tip: Touch and hold a file to highlight it. You can then share  the file, or tap and then move or copy the file to another location.

Browsing files using a computer

Connecting via USB

You can use a USB cable to connect your device to a computer to transfer and manage files and folders. Once the two devices are connected, you can use your computer's file explorer to drag and drop content between your computer and device, or between your device's internal storage and memory card.

To connect an Xperia device to a Windows computer

1. Connect your Xperia device to a Windows computer using a USB cable.
2. Xperia device: If prompted, in the Use USB to dialog, tap Transfer files (MTP).
3. Computer: Open Microsoft Windows Explorer. Your Xperia device appears under Computer.