When it comes to cloud computing, it’s easy to fall back on the same big name players like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, and Google. But, as in so many areas of computing, open source can offer a low or no cost alternative that businesses should be investigating.

Cozy

What we liked:

If you’re planning to take the plunge by moving away from traditional cloud platforms run by the big tech companies, mobility and security should be high on your list of considerations. You need to be able to access your files any time, anywhere, and they should be safe from nefarious net-dwellers snooping on personal data. 

Cozy offers exactly that. You can operate within your browser or download the app for your computer. Refreshingly, the company also “prohibits any use, for its benefit or for the benefit of anyone, of all or part of your ‘private’ data”. 

Thanks to a clean layout and large fonts, Cozy’s design is effortlessly user-friendly. A simple sidebar ensures navigation is slick and familiar, while adding your files to the cloud is achieved with one click of the Upload button. Clicking the three-dot menu reveals options to create new folders and select multiple items and, once you’ve added files, you can then manage items through the second three-dot menu that appears beside it, renaming and moving files, and sharing them with others. If you’re a convert from the Google and Microsoft services, you’ll have no trouble mastering Cozy.  

During our tests, we found uploading to Cozy was almost instant. As with other cloud services, a progress bar in the bottom-right corner provides a visual indication of everything you’re uploading to your Cozy cloud drive. 

You’ll find another handy shortcut by clicking the company logo in the top-left corner, which lets you quickly jump between the standard cloud service, your Photos folder and the Cozy Bank service (if you sign up for it). 

How it can be improved:

Cozy doesn’t offer the best deals when it comes to storage. Free accounts are capped at 5GB, which is fine for basic use, but you’ll need to shell out around £3 a month to increase that to a more respectable 50GB. While it’s a simple process to create new folders and the like, we’d love to have a Google Drive-style context menu to manage files with a simple right-click of the mouse.

XOR Drive

What we liked:

Security lies at the heart of XOR Drive. Proudly proclaiming itself as “encrypted cloud storage”, the platform abandons centralised systems in favour of a decentralised blockchain-based service. So, rather than letting a single company keep all your data, you’re completely in control of it, making XOR Drive the choice for the truly privacy conscious. 

To get started, you need to create an account with Blockstack, which powers the service. You can then access your cloud storage and, once you’re in, things start to look a little more familiar. In fact, if you didn’t know about XOR’s emphasis on security, privacy and data ownership, you’d think this was just another cloud-storage platform – and that’s no bad thing. 

Uploading to the service is speedy. Unlike other contenders, you can also drag and drop files to upload them. Sharing, too, offers the option to share publicly or to send files direct to other Blockstack users, keeping them private. 

How it can be improved:

If you’re a heavy user of cloud storage, you’ll notice everything slows down when uploading files over 10MB to the free account. Likewise, upload and download times are penalised if you’re using more than 10GB of storage. Occasionally, when attempting to see files, we received the notification that XOR ‘Failed to load preview’.

Bloom

What we liked:

Bloom – currently in beta – is very similar to Cozy.This browser-based cloud-storage service is big, bright and easy to navigate, and includes an Android app. 

The interface’s mobile-style icons take you to different areas – Drive, Photos, Music, contacts and so on.
And while you may not have any games saved, visit Arcade anyway, for a free version of popular puzzler 2,048.
You can also access Bitflow, for downloading files saved as torrents.

Once you get into the actual drives themselves, it begins to feel less mobile-inspired and more like a traditional cloud platform. Looking like a mash-up between OneDrive and Google Drive, navigation is standard and uploads are fairly quick, though by no means the fastest. Bloom’s storage is certainly generous – sign up for free and you’ll immediately get 30GB to use how you choose. 

How it can be improved:

Because it’s not yet had a full release, Bloom is lacking in certain areas. There’s no iOS app (though there are hints that it’s under consideration) and no dedicated desktop installation – all that cloud magic happens in your browser or in the Android app. That may be a deal-breaker, particularly for iPhone and iPad owners. 

Podcasts are more popular than ever, but where should you turn your ears for the best news, views, insights and chat?

Our list of 2019’s best podcasts pulls together everything from insightful analysis and security breach breakdowns to general tips and chat shows about the latest goings on in the world of technology.

There’s really something for anyone involved in the tech industry, so why not have a listen?

How to listen to podcasts

To get started, download a podcasting app. We rate the cross-platform Castbox (castbox.fm), but iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts are also great options. If you’re strictly into BBC podcasts, Auntie recently unveiled BBC Sounds for instant access. Next, start searching.

Most podcasts are available on every platform, but switch to another app if you can’t find your show. And don’t forget to hit the download button when you’re connected to Wi-Fi – streaming podcasts chews through your mobile data.

Tech thoughts & tips

PC Pro

A shameless plug on behalf of our sister title. Hosted by the magazine’s editor-in-chief Tim Danton and featuring Web User columnist Barry Collins, the PC Pro podcast is like an hour-long fireside chat, as tech experts demystify technology’s latest trends and topics. With new episodes debuting fortnight, you’re never short of opinions and views.

Clockwise

Clockwise’s setup is simple: “Four people. Four tech topics. Thirty minutes”. Affable hosts Mikah Sargent and Dan Moren take the lead, joined by a rotating panel to discuss everything from the state of social media to smart toilets. You can catch up with Clockwise every Wednesday.

Chips with Everything

The Guardian’s Chips with Everything is a snack-sized show that’s deliciously filling. Part interview, part documentary, episodes run between 20 to 30 minutes – just enough time for host Jordan Erica Webber to take a sideways glance at today’s technology trends, and its world-altering impact.

Internet of Things

If you’re after some breezy chat, tech journalist Stacey Higginbotham’s Internet of Things podcast is not for you. This weekly show is geared towards a tech-smart audience interested in consumer and business technology, platforms, privacy and politics. Expert guests also offer tips and advice in this hour-long podcast.

Internet culture

IRL

“Online life is real life”, is the strapline of In Real Life – a bi-monthly podcast produced by Mozilla (of Firefox fame). Unlike most tech podcasts, IRL isn’t a talking shop. You’ll hear real-life stories, like the community who built a better internet or the girl paid to write messages on Tinder.

Reply All

Reply All is investigative journalism for the internet, exploring online phenomenon such as the ‘Instagram for Doctors’ app, Tinder weirdos or message-board mysteries. As one testimonial puts it, “it’s a podcast that tells gorgeous, painfully human stories that happen to have bits of technology sprinkled in”.

This is Only a Test

This is Only a Test is the official podcast for Tested.com – the tech, science and geek culture site run by TV’s former Mythbuster Adam Savage. TIOAT is a rambling 90-minute show that, like its parent site, covers “anything that’s awesome”. You can also watch it on YouTube.

Deeper insights

Twenty Thousand Hertz

Twenty Thousand Hertz studies the history of world-famous audio – from jingles to sound effects and startup noises – and why they’re so effective. Produced by an award-winning sound-design studio (so they certainly know their onions), the podcasts range between 20 and 30 minutes, and feature in-depth interviews that cut through the noise.

Bloomberg’s Decrypted

As you’d expect from the business-orientated Bloomberg, Decrypted offers serious, in-depth reports. These are ‘peek-behind-the-curtain’ podcasts that shine a light on varied global technology topics like how Facebook’s ads really work or why bitcoin still matters. Experts are interviewed, data extrapolated and secrets uncovered, all in just 30 minutes.

TechStuff

For 10 years HowStuffWorks.com’s TechStuff, hosted by Jonathan Strickland, has served up fascinating insights into technology old and new (one week it’s AI, the next it’s DARPA). Where topics span beyond the 40-minute run-time, they’re chopped into multiple episodes. The show occasionally reruns TechStuff Classic podcasts, so newcomers don’t miss out.

TED Talks

TED Talks is to podcasts what Stephen Fry is to Twitter – it’s the iconic ‘brand’ that everyone follows. With its vast range of topics and experts, enjoy eye-opening content that changes the way you see the world. If you’re pushed for time, check out the bite-sized Ted Talks Daily.

Topical tech chat

BBC Click

The BBC has loads of science and technology podcasts, but start out with the World Service’s Click. This weekly podcast (effectively a 40-minute radio show), covers global technology news. As with most Beeb content, podcasts are only available for 30 days before they’re wiped.

TheVergeCast

The Verge team gather every Friday night to discuss the stories behind the week’s news. It’s chilled-out weekly news round-up; just a few friends gabbing about technology. Interspersed throughout the week are reviews and event coverage. Episodes range between 30-minutes up to a whopping 90-minutes.

This Week in Google

Google’s products and services dominate the internet. And the TWiG team – Leo, Jeff, and the IoT podcast’s Stacey Higginbotham – are giving the tech firm the hard-eye. Don’t expect fanboyism. This Week in Google is fair-minded, unafraid of calling out Google’s missteps or praising their successes.

The Two Technies

Each Saturday, the Two Techies Aaron and Jamie, make sense of events in the tech world. Given that it’s two mates having a chat, it’s a well-polished production. Each ep lasts “around an hour or less”, and sometimes features well-known ‘techie’ guests – most notably Apple guru Steve ‘Woz’ Wozniak.

Future technology

Wall Street Journal’s Future of Everything

Using technology news as a launchpad (think quantum computing, cryptocurrencies and cyber-attacks), the WSJ’s Future of Everything takes a 20-minute gander at where our digital future lies. For instance, if voting machines can be hacked, could we one day vote on our smartphones?

Future Tense

The Australian Broadcasting Company’s Future Tense is a podcast for those right on the bleeding-edge of technology. Discover how the very latest tech is transforming our culture and our lives. Given its broadcasting background, Future Tense has that serious news vibe, focusing on interviews with leading experts and insiders.

Security breach

Latest Hacking News

Clocking in at six minutes apiece, Latest Hacking News is the quickest ways to catch up on the day’s cyber-security news. It’s aimed at IT professionals (they use terms that’ll send you scurrying for Google), but that gives it absolute authority. Check out the website for additional news coverage.

Hackable

Hackable is brought to you by godfathers of the anti-virus, McAfee. Over the course of 30 minutes, the cybercrime podcast reveals the many ways we’re vulnerable to hackers. Let’s put it this way: after listening to Hackable, you’ll never go near another virtual reality unit.

Smashing Security

Winner of the ‘Best Security Podcast 2018’, Smashing Security claims it’s “not your typical cybersecurity podcast”. It’s a light-hearted round-table chat about hacking, cybercrime and online privacy that brings some much-needed levity to an otherwise serious subject.

No matter how well protected your computer is, all systems can be compromised. In many cases, this happens under our very nose and it’s almost impossible to catch a hacker red-handed as they try and access your files or take control of programs.

Fortunately, there are early-warning tools available that can immediately alert you to any system breach, whether that’s someone trying to take over your webcam or trying to make changes to your files. The great thing is that the majority of these tools are free, although they don’t always come with the most user-friendly of setups.

We’ve put together a list of potential hacking scenarios and the tools you should consider trying out in order to combat them.

When new devices connect to your network

Worried that someone’s leeching off your internet? An easy way to find out for sure is to use Nirsoft’s Wireless Network Watcher, which lists connected devices on your network. Wringing every last function out of this feature-rich program would take days, but even at its most basic, it reveals plenty about network activity.

Find out when devices are connecting to your network

Run Wireless Network Watcher, then click the column marked Last Detected On until it displays a down-arrow. That way, the newest device to connect always shows at the top. This helps you recognise it at a glance.

To set up alerts for potentially rogue devices, enter Options and turn on Beep On New Device and Beep On Disconnected Device. Remember to turn up your volume. Now, head into Device Options. Here, you can set your own connection and disconnection alerts if you don’t like the defaults – maybe an air raid warning siren? Finally, create a log by selecting View and choosing HTML Report – All Items.

When changes are made to your system

If you’re concerned about ransomware, or just don’t want anyone toying with your rig, download WinPatrol – your digital guard dog. Features include controlling startup programs and delaying chosen programs from running at boot-up, which speeds up your computer.

After recoiling at how badly designed the user interface is – it’s visually busy, crammed with 15 tabs, and absolutely no directions for use – you can start monitoring changes to your computer’s files and folders.

WinPatrol.png WinPatrol helps protect you from malware and worse

WinPatrol can be used as a purely passive program. Leave it chugging away in the background and whenever a new program runs, or attempts to install, it’ll give you a heads-up in the form of a visual and audio alert. You’re then able to accept or reject any changes. Don’t recognise the program? Reckon it might be malware or worse? Block it from running or ruining your PC.

It’s worth noting that this only halts programs – you’ll need to track them down in WinPatrol to begin the process of removing the threat.

When someone accesses your shared files

Sharing is caring. It’s also usually secure when doing so over your own network (just be sure to change your default WiFi password). Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security, though. Download Net Share Monitor (bit.ly/net463) to keep a close eye on all shared folders.

It’s a pleasantly minimalist tool. Just three tabs sit in the window: Active Sessions logs remote users, Accessed Files displays which folders and files remote users are currently connected to, while Shared Files lists the network’s shared folders.

Track every change when sharing over your network

Microsoft offers a decent guide to sharing folders, available here. Once complete, let the tool go to work. Net Share Monitor automatically finds and scans shared folders, with no additional setup required. The instant that changes are detected, it’ll beep and flash, while logging details in a separate file.

For a cloud storage alternative, OneDrive sends emails and push notifications to your phone whenever users open shared files and make alterations.

When changes are made to your folders

FolderMonitor is the local equivalent of Net Share Monitor. After you download it, the program’s likely to be lurking in your system tray, so double-click the icon and force it open.

Place folders under surveillance with FolderMonitor

Right-click anywhere in the window, then select ‘Add folder’. Find the folder you want to observe, and click Ok to add it to the watch-list. Alternatively, ‘Add path’ lets you cast a wider net (for instance, placing every folder in This PC under surveillance).

When a folder is added to FolderMonitor, right-click it to open FolderMonitor Options. Choose the events you want to check for – Created, Changed, Renamed, and Deleted. Now, when an unscrupulous someone takes remote control, it triggers an unmissable alarm, warning you of changes to the offending folder.

When someone logs into your PC

Need to keep your computer under lock and key while you’re away? Use Microsoft’s Task Scheduler to send an email every time someone logs onto your machine.

Ironically, in order to run this, you’ll need to turn on ‘Less secure apps‘ for your Google account – as such, we suggest creating a dummy Gmail address specifically for these notifications.

Set up an automatic alert when someone logs onto your computer

First, download and extract SendEmail. Then, forget about it. We’re going to perform a mini-workshop instead. Open Windows Task Scheduler. On the Actions panel, click Create Basic Task, and give it a name and description. In the Trigger tab, tick ‘When a specific event is logged’. Hit Next and under Log, use the drop-down to select Security; under Source, choose ‘Microsoft Windows security auditing’. In the ID box, type 4624. Click Next.

On the Action page, click ‘Start a program’ and choose SendEmail. In the ‘Add arguments’ box, type the following, replacing everything in brackets with your own data: -f [fromemail]@gmail.com -t [toemail]@gmail.com -u [Subject line, e.g. Did you log on?] -m [Message, e.g. Someone’s logged onto your computer] -s smtp.gmail.com:587 -xu [fromemail]@gmail.com -xp [fromemail password] -o tls=yes

Once that’s done, test the automated alert by locking and unlocking your computer. You should receive an email warning you of the login.

When an app tries to spy on you

Have you ever downloaded a seemingly innocuous app, and wondered ‘Why would it need to access my microphone and camera?’ Well, it could be that the devs are spying on you. Even legitimate apps like Facebook have come under fire for supposedly listening in (for targeted advertising reasons, of course).

To take control, check every app’s permissions in Settings – then revoke access to sensitive tools such as the microphone, camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and location (or ditch the app entirely if you don’t trust it).

D-Vasive Anti Spy monitors apps that may be watching you

For extra protection, you can download D-Vasive, created by self-proclaimed ‘cybersecurity legend’ John McAfee. Note that it costs £4.49. But while there are free alternatives, we’ve yet to find one that fully replicates D-Vasive’s protective security measures; D-Vasive sends alerts every time an app activates smartphone tools that may record, track, or otherwise spy on you. Whenever a warning flashes, you can instantly shut it down.

Get alerts when your accounts are breached

Is it time to change your username and password – again? It seems like every week brings a fresh hack or cyber-attack to worry about.

Have you been pwned?

Haveibeenpwned.com cross-references your email address against accounts that have been hacked, stolen and sold on the dark web. As well as searching its database, you can protect yourself against future breaches by setting up email notifications via bit.ly/pwnme463, so you’re informed as soon as the attack happens and can change your login pronto.

For extra security, install the HackNotice extension for Chrome. This handy browser tool tells you when you’re visiting a site that’s been hacked. You can even set up a watchlist for sites you regularly visit, or those that store personal data.

In order to prevent your data from being stolen and misused, it’s essential that internet users take the steps to protect their browsers from the latest net nasties.

Given the variety of threats out there, users need to be prepared to thwart attackers from all directions, whether that be malicious ads, hidden software, unwanted cookies, phishing scams, and even rouge extensions masquerading as legitimate tools.

In order to make things easier, we’ve pulled together some of the best tools available to help you immunise your browser from the most common threats.

Avoid phishing scams and malware

Even with antivirus software running in the background, it’s still wise to create an additional layer of browser security by installing Windows Defender Browser Protection or Avast Browser Security, which are available for all the major browsers. Like their antivirus counterparts, these ‘all-in-one’ extensions constantly scan for malicious code, suspect links and phishing attacks, and check threats against continually updated lists.

Avast Online Security helps you steer clear of dodgy websites

You’ll find more settings in Avast – Windows Defender only features an on-off button – and it also adds a traffic light system to Google search results, so you can check a website’s reputation before you click the link. This red-amber-green display is similar to BitDefender’s anti-phishing, anti-malware extension TrafficLight – a tool that also reveals when you’re being tracked and analysed by a website.

Each tool clearly communicates potential hazards. Hostile sites are locked behind unmissable warning signs, and you can opt to run to the safety of your homepage, rather than risk infection or stolen data.

Block online trackers and spying ads

Every site you visit and link you click creates information that a website or third-party can use to identify and analyse you. At best, this means your data is flogged to marketers who target you with ‘relevant adverts’. In the worst case scenario, it leaves you wide open to identity theft. And either way, you’re likely to suffer a slow-down when too many ads follow you around the web.

Popular multi-browser ad-blockers Ghostery and uBlock Origin both let you mask your digital footprint. Constantly running in the background, these check for advertising and analytic trackers on every web page you visit, before blocking them.

Ghostery helps you become an untraceable shadow online

Ghostery is the more user-friendly of the two. It’s available for most browsers, has its own Android and iOS apps, and provides useful at-a-glance info. However, uBlock Origin’s standout feature, Element Picker, lets you permanently block all sorts of sluggish or suspect website elements – including sidebars and comment sections.

Alternatively, try Privacy Badger. Created by the same folks behind HTTPS Everywhere, this ‘smart’ tool learns to recognise and block new trackers as you browse – so, unlike rivals, there’s no need to create whitelists and blacklists.

Defend your browser against CDN threats

One of the chief reasons why a website may be deemed risky is because of its Content Delivery Networks (CDN) – a system that populates web pages with content like adverts and images from multiple background sites; sites vulnerable to hackers.

Decentraleyes – available for Firefox, Chrome, and Opera – dodges these centralised networks. And by cutting out the highly exploitable middle-man, the extension is able to protect you from malicious software hidden within background content.

Use Decentraleyes to dodge risky content

Given their widespread popularity, most attempts to circumvent CDNs cause a web page to break, but Decentraleyes sneaks past this problem, tricking sites into displaying the extension’s own bundled local files that ‘plug the gap’. The tool is also designed to play nice with other privacy-enhancing extensions, including uBlock Origin, uMatrix, and Cookie AutoDelete.

Evade dodgy scripts on websites

Executed scripts is another reason why so many websites are at risk. Security experts revealed that hackers use “scripting capabilities for iframe redirects and malvertising links to compromise web browsers”.

You can protect yourself from this threat by using an extension such as uMatrix, which grants you the power to instantly stop sites running media, CSS, scripts, and frames.

uMatrix gives you full control over shady scripts and malign media

The matrix-based interface appears advanced, but it’s deceptively simple: open up uMatrix on a specific website to see a detailed grid of running HTML elements, then click the lower-half of a box to block an element, or permit a process by clicking the top-half. You can implement global settings across all sites is activated by clicking the asterisk symbol (*), then selecting preferences.

By controlling individual elements, you can tighten security and still ensure every site works. For example, blocking certain scripts on the Google Play Store removes the See More buttons, making navigation a nightmare, so a blanket ban on all scripts would make the site unusable.

Banish unwanted cookies

Cookies aren’t all bad – they’re the reason you don’t have to type out your favourite web addresses or remember all your passwords, after all – but they still help advertisers doggedly track you around the web.

Although we understand the popularity of browser extensions that remove irritating cookie notices – such as the excellent I Don’t Care About Cookies – these are ‘out of sight, out of mind’ tools that won’t protect you while browsing the web. For greater control over cookies on your machine, first check your built-in browser settings – all major players feature the ability to clear cookies at the end of your session, when you exit the browser.

Ditch the cookies to stop being tracked around the web

Chromium-based browsers like Chrome, Opera and Brave keep this option in Settings, Advanced, Content Settings, Cookies, where you can toggle the switch marked ‘Keep local data only until you quit your browser’. For Edge users, click Settings, and under ‘Clear browsing data’, select ‘Choose what to clear’ and turn on ‘Always clear this when I close the browser.’ In Firefox, visit the Privacy & Security settings, locate ‘Cookies and Site Data’, then use the drop-down menu to keep cookies until ‘Firefox is closed’.

The Cookies AutoDelete extension for Chrome and Firefox streamlines the process further. One click lets you automatically clean up your cookies; whitelist or greylist specific sites; and select preferences that clean out cookies when, for instance, you visit new domains or open the browser.

How to tell if you’re running a rogue extension

Browser tools gone bad are capable of stealing all sorts of private data from you – and most extensions have near-unlimited access to your personal data and browsing habits. No wonder Google are tightening up extension development.

The easy way to place unsafe extensions under lock and key

Extension Police checks your extensions are safe by auditing every add-on for potential security threats. Install it in Chrome or Vivaldi and the tool checks what each extension can do – and how it affects your online health. Each permission you’ve granted is given a traffic light score: red for hazardous, amber for suspicious, and green for safe. You’re then prompted to take action based on threat level.

Whether it’s a quick cut-and-paste job or a dive into the digital depths of your Android smartphone, free file manager apps give you greater control over your documents than Google’s built-in counterpart. However, how do you know which is the one for you?

We’ve put together some of our favourites and ranked them according to their feature set, performance and how easy they are to use. 

Astro File Manager App

With an uncomplicated interface and an emphasis on productivity, Astro’s file manager app ensures you won’t be fumbling your way through yet another tricky file move on your Android phone or tablet.

You’ll find a familiar Home screen populated with the essentials: file types, storage locations, cloud services, recent files, and favourites. Everything you need is accessible from the moment you open the app.

Setup is pleasantly straightforward. Thumb-friendly ‘Add’ buttons jump out from the Home screen offering LAN, FTP, SFTP and SMB server location support. You’re also able to connect to the most common cloud and social services, such as OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox and Facebook. That all makes it ridiculously easy to navigate to your destination. Alternatively, if you don’t know where a file it, you can use the search bar.

Peeking under the hood reveals no-nonsense file manager options. Features don’t get much more exotic than .ZIP and .RAR compression and extraction, alongside app back-up and a ‘task killer’ that can force apps to close to protect battery life. However, Astro’s core strength is that it focuses on being a file manager first and foremost, to copy, move and share your apps and documents, with no unnecessary extras – not even ads.

How it can be improved

While the app remains clean and accessible, the Home screen’s horizontal swipe is unnecessarily finicky. Cleaning up space using the SD Card Usage option is a challenge, which sees file selection looping you back to its folder location. You can get around this by pressing and holding the file to open it, rather than tapping it as normal. The app could benefit from the inclusion of multiple-panes to make navigation even quicker and an increase in cloud storage locations would be also welcome.

Verdict

With streamlined functionality, Astro won’t be for everyone, but it’s that simplicity that gives this app broad appeal, while there are just enough extras to meet most common needs. After all, there’s only so much a file manager app needs to do and Astro does most of it.

Features: 4

Performance: 5

Ease of use: 5

Overall: 5

Total Commander

Total Commander started life as a desktop app and it shows. From design to performance, this feels like a file manager app built for serious users.

You can tell from one glance at the bold, black theme and its Windows-like icons that Total Commander means business. You won’t find flash colour schemes or other such frivolous options here, which is fine as long as you can live with the existing colour scheme.

Total Commander supports FTP, SFTP, WebDAV and LAN connections. You can also connect the app to your OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox accounts, but you need to add plugins to the app to get them working. You’ll also find handy extras like creating your own internal commands and a permissions editor.

If you’ve ever used a desktop file manager, you’ll feel right at home here.

How it can be improved

Some terminology, while accurate, isn’t particularly user-friendly because of the transition from PC software to app. Selecting additional plugins takes you to an inelegant external site that’s little more than a wall of text and a few links and bringing those options in-app would refine the process. At present, the app only connects to a small number of cloud services — we’d like to see more.

Verdict

Total Commander isn’t just a name; it’s a declaration of intent. It’s a well-built app that will appeal to those wanting a comprehensive file overview and is a powerful tool to add to Android. However, thanks to its awkward desktop origins, you’ll need to spend a little time learning the app to fully understand its quirks.

Features: 5

Performance: 5

Ease of use: 4

Overall: 4

File Manager

Originally created by Asus for its first-party smartphones, File Manager is now available on other Android devices. Despite its uncreative name and platform-specific origins, the app is surprisingly delightful.

Design-wise, it’s as if Asus decided to improve upon Astro’s minor failings. The app’s striking icons make usage extremely intuitive for Android users. For those sick of manually navigating to common tasks, File Manager also conveniently places key actions like desktop file transfer and storage analyser at the bottom of the Home screen. The analyser itself is a dream: its large tabs and visual reports are designed with smartphones in mind. Elsewhere, a PIN-protected Hidden Cabinet hides private files away from prying eyes.

This is a lightweight app, though, only covering the absolute basics. However, this makes File Manager fast and efficient.

How it can be improved

The app is a tease. It’s so good that in almost every department, you find yourself wishing it offered even more: more actions; more cloud storage options; more network and server connections. As such, clever ideas stashed across the app, such as the Hidden Cabinet, jar with the otherwise very obvious restrictions, making the app feel under-developed. Quick links to additional storage locations on the Home screen would offer a productivity boost.

Verdict

What File Manager does, it does well. Fluid navigation and a single-minded focus on simple file management make the app a joy to use. However, it’s held back by limited capabilities. That’s a shame, but even without expanded functionality, there’s a lot to enjoy using File Manager.

Features: 3

Performance: 5

Ease of use: 5

Overall: 4

Best of the Rest

ES File Explorer

ES File Explorer bills itself as the world’s number one file management app. Efficient in performance and feature-rich, the easy charm of ES should make it the clear Gold winner.

Unfortunately, the ad-supported app forces you to download bloatware to gain access to locked features, which defeats its purpose.

Solid Explorer

Solid Explorer kicks off with a 14-day free trial, with a full upgrade costing a reasonable £1.49. Fitting in well with the Android aesthetic, you won’t have any trouble navigating most of the app. There are some nice bonuses here, too, including individual file encryption. But moving files across to different storage locations isn’t at all smart, which makes the app difficult to recommend, given that it’s a primary function of a file manager.

X-plore File Manager

Aping a desktop file manager, X-plore is similar to Total Commander. It supports more cloud services than any other app on our list, as well as the standard collection of server connections. However, the desktop-style aesthetic is an uneasy fit on Android because the layout is ugly. Also, opening the nested folders soon overcrowds the screen. The dual pane goes some way to addressing this, but it’s not enough to fix all of its problems.

Image: Shutterstock