Finding downloaded files on your Samsung Galaxy phone is easier than you think
Did you download a file on your Samsung Galaxy phone but can’t find it now? Most content you download is usually stored in the Downloads folder of your phone, though it can be a challenge to access it, especially if you haven’t opened it before. Check out where you can find the downloads on the best Samsung phones and where they are stored.
Where are downloads stored on a Samsung Galaxy phone?
Accessing a downloaded file depends on the file type and how it was downloaded. Google Chrome or other web browsers usually store downloaded files in the Downloads folder on your internal storage. Apps store their downloaded data inside a sub-folder they create in the Android folder. This directory is not user-accessible, and you must grant the file manager special permission to access and modify the files and folders inside it. Similarly, movies and TV shows downloaded from Netflix or Prime Video for offline viewing are not accessible outside those apps.
In some instances, apps can create a folder in the root directory of the phone’s internal storage to store downloaded data. Regardless, in most cases, you can access downloaded files on your Galaxy phone using a file manager, either the built-in app or a third-party one.
How to access downloads stored on a Samsung Galaxy phone
Samsung’s My Files app is preinstalled on all Galaxy phones and tablets, so using that is the most straightforward approach. The file manager categorizes files based on type, making them quicker to access.
- Open the My Files app.
- If you are looking for a recently downloaded file, you’ll see it in the Recent files section at the top.
- Select the category for the downloaded file that you are looking for. For example, tap Images if you are looking for a photo you downloaded last week.
- The images stored on your phone from different apps, including photos taken using the camera, display.
- Sort the results based on Name, Date, Type, or Size.
- Tap an image to open it using the image viewer of your choice.
- To find downloads from Chrome, including pages for offline viewing, go to the Downloads category.
- Similarly, APKs downloaded from third-party sources can be found in the Installation files category. Tap an APK file from here to start the installation process.
- If you know the file name you are looking for, tap the Search icon in the upper-right corner of the My files app.
- Enter the file name. You can also file the results based on the time and file type.
You can manually go through the files stored on your Galaxy phone’s internal storage by tapping Internal storage under the Storage section. If your phone supports external storage, it shows up here. Tap its name to access the files stored on it.
You can access the directories on your phone’s internal storage, but you can’t manage or modify the content in all of them.
When accessing your phone’s internal storage, your My Files app only shows the Essentials folders. These are the common folders that you need to access Download, Music, Pictures, and DCIM (where the camera shots are saved). To view all folders on your phone’s internal storage, tap the drop-down menu below Internal storage and select the All option.
How to access your files stored in Google Drive or OneDrive
You can use Samsung’s My Files app to access files uploaded on Google Drive or OneDrive.
- Open the My Files app.
- Scroll download and select Google Drive or OneDrive, depending on which cloud storage solution you use.
- Log in to your Google or Microsoft account. For Google Drive, My Files shows the Google accounts via which you have already logged in to your account.
- After a few seconds, a list of all the files and folders synced to Google Drive or OneDrive displays.
- You can access the file, delete, copy, or move them as you desire. You can also copy content from your phone’s internal storage to Google Drive or OneDrive from within the My Files app.
Your phone must be connected to the internet when you access your files stored in Google Drive or OneDrive using the My Files app.
Try out other file manager apps
If you don’t like Samsung’s built-in My Files app, you can try one of the best third-party file manager apps for Android. They are more advanced and allow you to connect to an FTP or SFTP server to manage files remotely. Once you become proficient at finding downloaded files, check out the best Android and One UI software tips to get the most out of your Galaxy phone.
