Our smartphones have become an indispensable part of our personal and professional lives. Most people have them on their persons at all time, even in or near their bed when they sleep! As such, we often download various media to them that we want to find again later. Unfortunately, this isn’t always so easy. For this week’s tip, we’ll go over where to find your Android downloads and files.

There are actually a couple of methods you can use to do so. First, we’ll review how to use your mobile device’s built-in File Manager.

Using the File Manager to Locate Android Downloads

Chances are, your device came preinstalled with file management software without you even being aware of it.. To find it, open the app drawer. You will then want to open a specific application. Based on the device you have, it may be called Downloads, My Files, or File Manager. Accessing this application, you should see at least one folder for your internal storage. If you’ve expanded your storage with an SD card, you will see that as well. While your Downloads are probably going to be in your internal storage, your settings might be sending them to your expanded storage. Once you’ve located your Download folder, access it. There, you will see a complete list of your downloaded materials. While this sounds like many steps, it is actually quite quick and simple. These files will initially be sorted in chronological order, you can change this to your preference.

Your other option is to utilize the Google Chrome application.

Finding Downloads in Google Chrome

Accessing the Chrome browser application on your device, tap the three-dot button at the top-right corner. From the menu that appears, select Downloads.

There, you will find your list of downloaded files, which you can filter through using the hamburger menu button and selecting your desired file type. If you need to find a particular file, Chrome allows you to search for it using the magnifying glass button. Doing it this way if you regularly use Chrome is even faster than the first option for Android downloads.

When data is so important to us today, it helps to know where to find the data you’ve accessed. Are there any other smartphone tips that we should share? Leave your suggestions in the comments! If you are worried about keeping your data safe or need data recovery services, reach out to Symmetric IT Group today.