How to access your Android phone files from File Explorer on Windows 11

• To access Android phone files on Windows 11, configure connection with the “Mobile Devices” feature and turn on “Access in File Explorer,” open “File Explorer,” and click the Android phone from the left pane. 

On Windows 11, you can now access your Android files using a convenient option available through File Explorer. In this guide, I will explain how to perform this task. Although you have been able to access your Android phone files through File Explorer for a long time, it was a tedious process since it required you to connect your phone with a USB cable, and then you needed to change the settings on your phone to allow file transfer through USB. 

Google has also introduced its Nearby Share support for Windows 11 and 10 devices, but it’s limited to sending documents and pictures from your phone to your computer. The new approach uses the “Link to Windows” app and the “Manage mobile devices” feature on Windows 11 to connect to your Android phone. Once this initial process is complete, your phone will appear as another item in the File Explorer navigation pane, allowing you to access your pictures and virtually any files more easily.

This feature works with Android 11 and higher releases before you can access your files on your phone. You will need the “Link to Windows” app beta version 1.24071 or higher and a device enrolled in one of the Windows Insider Program channels.

In this guide, I will explain the steps to set up your Android phone on Windows 11 to access your files using File Explorer.

Access Android phone files using File Explorer on Windows 11

To access your Android phone files using File Explorer on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on Bluetooth & devices.

3. Click the Mobile devices page.

4. Turn on the “Allow this PC to access your mobile devices” toggle switch.

5. Click the Manage devices button.

   

   Quick note: If this is the first time setting up the feature, click the “Install” button to download the required components.

6. Click the Add device button from the “Manage mobile devices” app.

7. Scan the barcode with your Android phone and complete the connection.

   

   Quick tip: You must install the latest beta version of the Link to Windows app on your phone and ensure you’re signed in with the Microsoft account associated with your Windows 11 installation. You can find the option to join the beta program on the app download page from the Google Play Store.

8. Turn on the phone toggle switch (if applicable).

9. Turn on the “Access in File Explorer” toggle switch (if applicable).

   

10. Open File Explorer on Windows 11 (Windows key + E).

11. Click the Android phone from the left navigation pane.

    

12. Browse and copy files from the Android storage to your Windows 11 storage as necessary.

13. (Optional) Click the phone icon in the address bar to view the device status and storage usage and access the recycle bin.

Once you complete the steps, you will be able to view and transfer files from your Android phone to your computer and vice versa.

If you don’t see the “Access in File Explorer” toggle switch, the feature is still not available to you since Microsoft is rolling it out gradually. 

It’s important to note that this feature is still under development, and not everything may work as expected. Microsoft notes that Windows will show that files in the recycle bin will stay for 30 days, but Android clears the files in the trash after five days.

Also, clearing deleted files on your phone may not appear on File Explorer. Furthermore, sometimes, operations on your phone file from Windows 11 may not sync back to the phone. A quick solution is to sign out of Windows 11 and sign back in.

This isn’t the Android-to-Windows functionality that the “Manage Devices” feature includes. You can also use your phone camera as a webcam on Windows 11, and it’s possible to receive photo notifications from your phone on the desktop.

What are your thoughts on this feature? Let me know in the comments.