File manager coming to Windows Phone 8.1 in June, will be called Files

The official Windows Phone UserVoice is a great place to get your feedback heard by Microsoft. Today the company has done some spring cleaning and flagged a lot of requests as ‘completed’. One of the most requested feature was a file system of some sort. Earlier this month, Microsoft shared that an official file manager would be coming to Windows Phone 8.1 this month. It looks like that date has been pushed back a month.

The Windows Phone team has been cleaning up the UserVoice thread and marking as complete. The request for a file manager to come to Windows Phone has been marked completed. An admin on the boards also informs us that the file manager app for Windows Phone will be launching in June and will just be called ‘Files’.

Files will be coming to Windows Phone sometime in June. We can’t wait and we know a lot of you can’t either. Keep your eyes peeled.

Source: Windows Phone UserVoice

Thanks for the tip Z04!

235 Comments

Sweet, can't wait
I thought they said this month....oohh
Would it enable sending attachments through the mail app as well. currently the files cannot be attached from the phone mail client/app. you have to go to the file to send it ?
Currently the files can be attached to email. With windows phone 8.1 and pocket explorer app
Not to replies and forwards, only new emails. The attach button on the compose view only does photos.
+1 to this question
They said many things about WP and its apps. If you know WP, you should know waiting is just as routine as breathing for WP users ;)
(*hint - WP8.1 updated apps for fb, Skype, whatsapp, instagram etc*)
Belfiore actually said "HOPEFULLY by the end of May" so I think giving a week or two slack is still okay ;)
Sad. I have waited so long for this and was hopping to get it by the end of the month, but now I would have to learn the patiente. Coding WP apps may help with waitting.
Would it support the OTG devices like USB flash
If they want to compete with Samsung yes
Why don't they just name it Windows explorer or just Explorer ?
How it would be different from the current file managing apps (pocket explorer for example)???
? Does anyone know?
Not suck. And probably not require that "select folder" process etc.
Ohhh damn !!! Again wait...wait..wait....I've already been waiting for this in a long time. I was counting the days to the end of the month and now I see June. Duuhhhh......
What they need to do is update their mail app to support these file explorer apps. Allow multiple attachments on all mails and be able to download and save files to the phone.
Hopefully it will be at least half as good as the one in Windows Mobile 2003 SE.
It's pretty sad when we have to hope for things that have been around for 10+ years elsewhere already.
It is sad smh!
Windows phone is not as old as android or IOS, that's why we have to hope for apps. It was the same with IOS.
It's more than 3 years old OS. In 4 years both android and ios were more than matured, mainstream both feature wise and app wise.
Not really, WP is the fastest growing Mobil OS.
like the Gas Station? lol, (I know that was corny, but I had to do it, haven't commented in a while)
Let's hope it's another (while) before your next post.
die geek troll nerd person, I just gotta spankin new Lumia Icon, and I'm back in the building for a (while)
Yeah, and iOS was lacking and Android was as well. If you think they were the complete o/s they are today, you're sadly mistaken. When did iOS enable multi tasking? What version was Android three years in? Froyo? Gingerbread?
In 4 years, they were. That is 2011 Q2 for iOS and 2011 Q4 Android. If you compare mind shares, market share, app quality, app functionality and big apps in store now, then extrapolate it to October 2014, you will see how much it lacks. In 5 months WP8.1 will be what Honeycomb 3.2 was for Android and what iPhone 4S was for Apple. Does it match up shares, market share, app quality, app functionality and big apps in store??
Personally, I don't give a flying f*** if they match iOS or Android feature for feature. I like the feel of the Lumia phones in my hand. I like the durability of the Lumia phones. I like the awesome quality of the pictures I get on my 1020. I like the smoothness of the operaintg system. I like live tiles. I like Cortana. I like the interoperability with my other Microsoft products. To me (and this is purely my opinion, so don't crap all over me), this is what really matters. I'm sure if I thought about it a lot, I could come up with some features that would be pretty cool, but iOS and Android don't have anthing compelling enough that I would cause me to switch.
I'm with you!!
Exactly!
count one more
+100
Not at all, android and ios is getting features we wp users enjoyed for a while. All OS goes through this.
And Android and iOS still don't have first party file managers either.
Exactly, WP will be the first to have a native file explorer. I think that's pretty fucking awesome to be honest. And certainly something to brag about. When it comes to iOS. Does it have live tiles? Can I change the size and theme of its app icons? Does it have tap to wake? Does it have glance screen AND glance notification counters? No, it doesn't. iOS is the one starting to fall behind. Only real benefit there is the app selection.
App quality AND quantity. Also, much detailed reply is few posts above this.
It's nice to have a file manager at last, but it won't be the first...
BlackBerry 10 has it since day one... Posted via Windows Phone Central App
Actually WM had it, together with many other features, years before any other OSes....
Wm was way ahead of the times! Microsoft has always been ahead. Think Kinect, think Xbox as a complete media center, first touch centric OS...
Fan boy here. Fan boy anybody?
Exactly. People seem to forget that all file managers on iOS and Android are 3rd party. I have been using ES File Explorer on Android for years in addition to whatever file explorer OEMs create for their device.
in ios there s no ffucking torrent app ;O dafauq wp having torrent client i have dwnloaded 1 gb movie on phone itself but in ios no torrent app. total shame
To be fair, WP8 was the true start of the platform from a code perspective, as they had to spend most of the time/work between WP7 to WP8 re-engineering it to the shared core kernel and such. iOS and Android did not.
So every time you lose the race you blame the shoes and change the kit w that it's a new race?
The race is long from over, my friend. This is merely a pit stop for new tires.
They never lost any race. Even as they made wp7 they already knew it was a temporary solution and that they would have to remake the OS with a different kernel. This is well known, wp7 was just there to get users used to windows phone
A pity they forgot to mention to the buyers.....
Yeah, but I had two good years out of my HD7 before I upgraded to my Lumia and ask my info migrated flawlessly to the new device. So it wasn't so bad.
So with that logic can we please stop using kernel reboot as an excuse for everything? WP8 isn't when WP started off. WP7 is where the platform started off. WM6.5 to WP7 was a reboot.
Sure, back then there were ONLY Android and iOS. "Maturity" is relative to what else exists at the time you measure it. After 3 years, WP has more apps and is more "mature" compared to what both Android and iOS was after 3 years.
Priorities. WP is made for regular people first, most of whom aren't using file managers. WinMo may have had a file manager but it's experience was utter shit by compared to what WP offers. Now that they've gotten the majority of the basic features implemented and refined. They can start adding extra things like this that would surely be used by many of us, but not so much the broader audience.
I always used Resco explorer back than, it was way better than the native offering.
Me too!
didnt they have a few cool tools. think i used the same one
It had awesome registry editor!
true. but someone from xda even provided a GUI editor :)
I loved Resco Audio Recorder, used it for all my Uni lectures back then, 3 years into WP and I still haven't found an app that would be anywhere as close to or flexible in features and recoding formats as Resco. That is the main thing I am missing on WP. Was hoping Nokia would make a voice recorder since they were braging about their multiple microphones, but nothing from them too. :(
Deja Vu, First. Seems faster etc..
1st Fail
There weren't any comments after 2 refreshes. Server fail.
Just teasing
serves you right for those annoying 1st comments
S-U
Q-P
N-O... Lol❗❗❗
Big question: when is Windows Phone 8.1 coming? Can't wait anymore :-\
Get the developer preview like everyone else
I could, but I wanna wait and get the final, finished 8.1. Some posts about the bugs in the forums discourage me.
There are bugs, but 8.0 has bugs also.. Nothing major...
+1520-that's why I ain't doing it. I'll wait too.
So 8.1 could be weeks away?
Could be months away, depending on your device/carrier. Just get the Preview, totally worth it, especially with the recent bug-fix update.
Even the final version will have bugs. It's software. That's why we get updates.
Developer preview is final, they wouldn't have released an update for it if it wasn't.
It's definitely not final, it's more of a mostly-ready beta this time around.
Actually it is RTM; when it will be released will have GA status.
Smart move. You should definitely wait for the 8.1 with the Nokia firmware. Especially if you're not in the US.
Those with developer preview will just receive the Nokia firmware as an update, when it comes out. They are not tied together, so there's no need to hold out on 8.1 because of Cyan
I'm pretty sure there will be at least some minor differences in developr and final, that will require an update for 8.1 as well. It just won't be as significant as going from 8.0 to 8.1.
Actually I'm in US, but my phone is unlocked. It is from Middle East & Asia region. So, probably, I'll get the update at most 10-15 days after it becomes available for anyone. But yeah, with Nokia Cyan coming even later, makes me wanna update to developer preview. I just hope I don't encounter any significant bug.
I'm using a 925 with 8.1 as a daily driver and i can tell ya' there are certain apps that doesn't work very nice with windows 8.1 but nothing major , i can tell you also that the OS is nicely stable and the battery life improved for me from 8.0 to 8.1.
No bugs here... Lumia 920
So, you recommend me to get developer preview? I'm also using Lumia 920.
Yea. No more issues than what you have now. As has been mentioned, there are always some bugs, and MS has already done updates to the preview. 1020 is my primary phone but have 520, 720, 920, 1520. Only one doesn't have the preview is 920. Needed to hold one back to see when AT&T actually steps up.
Get the dev preview, it's easy and very safe to do
Get the developer preview and u can get wp8.1 now :)
Get the developer preview and no one break this combo!
C-C-C-Combo Breaker!!!!!!
If you mean it as a update and your carrier has good rep for pushing updates, it will be live for you by late june :D
Luckily I've an unlocked phone :-)
Do be skeert do it!
The bugs are beyond minor
My bugs were E-flat.
OS bugs or 3rd party app bugs?
I was hoping Windows Explorer.
A was hoping File Explorer, or simply Explorer.
I was just hoping.
One cannot lose hope.
Explorer would be nice. But I believe that people would confused it with IE. And there are a lot of people who hates IE (not me).
Windows Explorer = Desktop Windows 7 File Explorer = Desktop Windows 8
Must have taken ages to think of the name ;-)
You would be surprised how hard is somethime to think about the good name for a product.
Isn't this old news? Or is there something new to this?
Read the article...
Ready boy!!... Read❕❕❕❕
I'm enjoying my ride with the evolution on Windows Phone. Great job guys!!
Sounds like you took drugs, man!!... Dude, give me some already!!!
+1520
Was wondering about this app... Now we need the dynamic lock screen app... Come on Rudy!!!!
+111111111111111
+9999999999999999999999999999999999999 this is the only thing that I miss for good WP OS design. That would be f***** awesome.
Now that quote from Belifore seems likes distant memory, but I recall something about them consulting with that french genius regarding the lockscreens. Somehow, that quote got more mixed up than Rodney King's get along quote. I believe that feature is getting baked in with the first update or sooner vie the dev preview. But my memory sucks so you could be right... Either way, yeah, it looks to be shaping up mighty dopely.
I think even WPC said its coming as an app... Checking now..
.................. Update.........⬇⬇
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPzS0TOJPXM
Have a look at this video. if it's real, it's cool! He implimented swipe to change the track from lock screen. http://youtu.be/DyMAgd14_-w
Yep... my fault. You were right. What are you gonna do, sue me?
Are you serious?... Lol!
As long as it helps me set a new ringtone without having to connect to PC. Unless there is an easy way I'm missing out on.
Apps.
Is there one that helps me set a ringtone from the songs I currently have in my library?
http://www.windowsphone.com/s?appid=5a99cbd9-e82a-4892-8264-17a64f9142e5
I have that. Incompatible with any songs I download through MUSIC+.. And doesn't allow me to have full songs either. Useless. But thanks you.
Full song for ringtone? WTF? The call can't be that long. Eventually, the call will end.
That's because Music+ stores the songs in its isolated storage. You need to export the songs to the native music player (and it is possible from a developer standpoint) I have an app that really isn't that great (I have bigger better projects now), but it shows how to use an app to make a ringtone. http://www.windowsphone.com/s?appid=98a40ee5-0c28-46ef-9d3a-b0e40977bfa5
http://www.windowsphone.com/s?appid=5a99cbd9-e82a-4892-8264-17a64f9142e5
Just let me access system partition's ringtones already. Ever play Bullet Asylum, Rocket Riot, or use any soundboard, just to find out that you can't transfer them to another phone? Boooo...
Sadly WP fans and enthusiasts have to wait for everything, even a file manager :(
Yep so sad!
Yup story of my life
Good things come to those who wait.
iOS doesn't have things that Android, and WP have... Does that make you feel better?
Ugh, we already have file managers.
and WP 8.1 has also several file managers...
Where is your Nokia Camera with reframe and manual settinds?
Does you phone have OPTICAL image stabilation or is it just a POS stone age relic?
There are file managers!! For e.g. Folders, pocket file manager.
Nothing has everything at the beginning, and I'm glad. It would be pretty dang boring if we weren't getting new stuff now and then.
4 years isn't beginning in the world of technology.
That was obvious I guess. A lot more should be ready by June IMO (Revamped Office, Music/Video/Podcasts,Lockscreen etc)
You mean the dynamic lock screen app that Rudy is making?
Will this allow you to attached files, etc. to emails?
Seeing as other third party file manager apps let you do this: One would hope so. Unfortunately, sending attachments in forwards and replies is a different matter.
Dajeee
Dee Jay? From Street Fighter???
"Daje", italian word that mean "Yeah!!!". ;)
More Roman dialect....
I'm waiting for file manager and and majorly for watsapp. I've been tired of facebook Inc.
Maybe now I can upload documents to Google drive? I have been using the website emailItIn.com its great so far.
Xbox music app ain't opening. It's just stuck at the opening tile.
What about USB storage ??
USB OTG????
Get down with OPP????
Not other people's property... No, not that.. Although I wish.. Rather USB On The Go... You know, where you can plug a flash drive strait into your device...
.....................
This would be cool for dumping your files when On The Go.. Like if you had a 41mp camera, and no SD card slot, and no WiFi... Perfect for vacation's, and enterprise use.
USB OTG support or not. ????????
The platform doesn't support it as far as I know. But, I'm not sure if anyone has even tried it.
When the developer preview first leaked I think there were hints in the code that it would be coming. We know now that it didn't make the cut for 8.1 launch. However, I think that might be because Microsoft were waiting until they got the file manager finished. Wouldn't be surprised if it comes in one of the later GDR updates. http://www.phonearena.com/news/Windows-Phone-8.1-may-support-USB-on-the-go_id53951
Lol OTG. OH dis what did I mean.
Either Lumia Cyan or GDR 1 soon after.
Am I the only one that isn't really that fussed about a file manager. What am I missing.
Even if you never use it, It's a bragging point. Take that iBoys and Androids!!!!
Depends on the user... There's a few times when I would've used it.. I need it because of that..
Finally a free file explorer, that also works fast! But I hope the system memory space gets compressed, because my memory rivers completely somehow... Even with al my apps on the SD!
seems final
fight
I've never really cared, but now I want.
Seems faster
This should come with 8.1 as part of OS!
If it was a part of the OS, then for it to be updated, it would have to be in an OS update.
At the very least, it should come preinstalled. :) I don't want to have to download a filemanger like I have to on Android. Give me a preinstalled file manager like on Symbian....pretty please.
I promise once you install this you will feel like its preinstalled.
No, it absolutley shouldn't. Releasing as an app is the way to go. I would guess 95% of users don't need this, myself included and I'm a power user.
Very good.
Sweet.
Sour. Just doing my job....for every positive....there is a negative. ;) It is 4:29pm on a friday before a 3 day weekend. I get off work at 4:30, pardon my excitement!
Excellent ! Now what about that Lockscreen app?
OTG flash drive support????
Someone tell me more about this dynamic lockscreen. Will it just be Rudy Huyn making the lockscreens, or can other developers also make lockscreens???
Rudy Hyun has been working with Microsoft privately for many months now, and his app taking advantage of the new API will be the first and only for awhile.
Then, after people have sampled the app and what it's capable of: Microsoft will open the flood gates and let other developers access the API, so as to implement this into their own apps.
Thank you for explaining. ⌒.⌒
Other developers could make lockscreen apps
This should be core functionality of OneDrive, like in Windows. Including offline syncing and at least ffs... Ability to download videos!
+8.1
Exactly!!! The issue has been access AND fragmentation. While a file manager fixes access, it makes framentation even worse. Each app caches a file, onedrive caches the file, the online copy can differ, the local copy does not automatically sync. It's not a pleasant or intuitive experience. OneDrive should be the ONE place for files, period. It's already a file manager, afterall. Like Windows RT, they should add "Make available offline" option and browse "This Phone" option. ...Everytime I travel (mexico), I make this mad dash to grab my school files so I can study on the bus. Why can't my phone just keep the OneDrive folder synced?
Shall it show files received via Bluetooth?
Yay
Yes, very nice. Now lets hope that this delay means it will be the ultimate Explorer app.
As far as I go, it better be better than Pocket Explorer... And Pocket Explorer is by far the better file manager on the WP Store. It's "bad" enough that Rudy Huyn can produce in a week a better ago than a major company *cofinstagramcof* let's see if Microsoft will be humiliated by the work of a single developer too.
Humbled is the right word, not humiliated.
Will I think when you're big and powerful and yet once single person can do a better job than you.... Humiliated is a better word. If a single developer proves to be better than a team of professionals within a software giant... That's as humiliating as it gets in my book.
Ok.. What else has been marked as "completed"?
Should be called File Explorer to match Windows.
i just need fixed ip on wifi and play music by folder....
Ha
I'm using file Ex, but it's not very user friendly. Looking forward to have this Files very soon
I thought it named one file, one folder or one manager. Actually I like it when Microsoft choose the name one.
Please make this a universal app!
+620
I don't mind having bought 4 different 3rd party file manager apps while we wait for this most elemental of features of any OS, so long as the "Official" file manager fully intergrates attaching files to emails, whether they are new, replies or forwards. . . . you know, the way that you do, when using email.
Exactly. Some features are essential to bring the mobile use closer to the desktop. You pointed a huge one.
I hope the New whatsapp update will ne featuring access to the backup.
Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch. It is the 24th of May! June is too long for me to wait. Lordy what a whiny bunch. Pull yourselves together for crying out loud.
Why no Explorer :(((((
Try Folders. Just out the other day. Free and included rename, etc.
By the easy. Check your updates. One Drive just updated with additional file options.
Misa Bing happy.
I wonder how many uservoice suggestions happened to be the same as new 8.1 features or if the Windows Phone team actually looked at and implemented a lot of those uservoice ideas.
Off topic, but what happened to our biweekly xbox music update?!
The REAL question is... Will it support .Gif files?
GIF files are emerging exponentially, and I really hope Microsoft catches on.
At least it's coming.
zzzzzzz. I only need OneDrive.
How creative with the name. I'm impressed.
Just a little correction: it's not a file system, it's a file manager or explorer. If we didn't have a file system the OS would certainly not work.
Microsoft / Nokia, please do it fast (not only FILES but a lot of major improvements) or loss more markets.
I can wait up but your competitors getting grow up everyday.
Great news...first new folder I'll be creating is for all those photos I definitely don't want displaying in my camera roll!
WP is presently not a friend of the naughty Whatsapper!
Great!!
Awesome!
Seems Slower
Yes MS moving slowly
I am tired waiting for so many features and apps. WhatsApp included
I feel embarrassed while recommending a WP device to my friends.
I would just tell, "if you're sick of laggy androids then try WP, it's slick"
Me too
Main thought behind making Windows phone is was to make it different so microsoft didn't provide all these functionalitys coz they thought is don't need it like they thought live tiles can replace notification center ....but coz there consumer thought diffrently so they have to provide it ......we all know its not a big deal for microsoft to provide a file manager they culd have done a while ago but according to them is didn't need it but its a good thing they listen to their consumers unlike google
Back then notifications weren't organized. And not all apps were pinned to the start screen. That's why there was a need for action centre.
Btw is there a user voice site for Google?
Nope none google just do what it wants to do
Will WhatsApp and other third party apps be able to access media files to attach now??
This ^^
I wasted money buying pocket explorer, I have never used since. In brief file manager won't help me in any way....it's just an overrated feature
Hearing uservoice and bringing better features for the whole community - that's the thing i really love about WP. Good work on FILES.. :D
Oooooo!
When the wp 8.1 will release officaily
I decided to go for official release 8.1 but as the official release is taking too long i want to get developer preview bcoz i cant wait any more. One thing i want to know as i heard that if i get developer preview,it will void my phone's warranty. Is it true ? . Or i can just go for developer preview. Plz suggest
Yes you can install preview , your phone remain at Lumia back after installing the dev....... But your phone not in warranty until ,you don't get update from your career ...... Then after your phone again in warranty.....!!!
Enjoy wp8.1
Is VLC dead
Still boggled as to the purpose of a file explorer on a phone...
Immensly handy, not so much on tightly locked-down/controlled platforms like iOS/WP (but even on them it can be a boon), but on the more fluid/flexible ones out there the usefulness is huge, esp. the platforms that have great Shell/CLI tools/apps.
sub.
Thank you so much for reply
Will there be an update to lumia storage check, along with the addition of files, so that one can move maps to the sd card officially? And I'd love to know if proper email attachment is coming... Hopefully good times ahead!!!!
Can we send songs &videos to WhatsApp through this files???
Yes,I think so.
Files is in the wp store now.
Its not working! haha Shame!

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