For most Windows users, File Explorer is an essential tool used almost daily. Since the introduction of Windows 11, Microsoft has enhancing its functionality, making file management quicker, more intuitive, and even enjoyable.
The updated File Explorer boasts a modern and efficient design, featuring a gallery view for images and browser-style tabs for easy navigation between multiple folders. It integrates effortlessly with smartphones, supports various archive formats, and allows file sharing without exiting the app. Amid these major improvements, several smaller yet valuable features can significantly save time.
6. Gallery View for Photos
A Sleek New Way to Organize Your Memories
The newly introduced Gallery tab in File Explorer consolidates all your photos and videos in a single location, mirroring the functionality of mobile phone photos apps. When launched, it presents large, edge-to-edge thumbnails, enabling rapid browsing and easy identification of images without needing to open each file individually.
Images are automatically sorted by date, making it effortless to find that cherished vacation snapshot or recent project images. Moreover, the search function allows you to locate specific pictures by name, tags, or metadata.
5. Browser-like Tabs
Manage Multiple Folders Without Clutter
The addition of tabs in late 2022 revolutionized navigation within File Explorer, allowing users to manage multiple folders seamlessly within a single window, akin to switching between tabs in a web browser.
This feature is a tremendous timesaver; users can easily drag files between tabs, right-click to open new tabs, or middle-click to close them quickly. It provides a smooth experience, especially for those accustomed to juggling multiple Explorer windows for better project organization.
Additionally, common keyboard shortcuts familiar from web browsing, such as Ctrl + T for new tabs, Ctrl + W to close a tab, and Ctrl + Tab for switching between tabs, enhance user efficiency.
4. The Home Tab
Your Most Important Files, Front and Center
The revamped Home tab has replaced the traditional Quick Access feature, streamlining access to pinned folders, recently used files, and shared documents.
Within the Recent section, you can quickly find your 20 most recently accessed files, mimicking the functionality of the old Quick Access panel. It is particularly useful for swiftly reopening documents you recently edited or retrieving downloaded images. Meanwhile, the Favorites section allows you to right-click any file and select Add to Favorites, ensuring that crucial items are always easily accessible.
3. Access Phone Files Easily
Browse Mobile Content Without Cables
One of the standout features of File Explorer is the seamless ability to browse files from your phone directly on your PC without the hassle of cables or syncing files to OneDrive.
By linking your Android device via the Phone Link app, your phone appears in File Explorer like any regular drive. This functionality allows for easy access to photos, videos, and documents, streamlining the workflow for users who navigate a computer throughout the day. Although it may not match the speed of a wired connection, it remains efficient for simple tasks, such as retrieving an image or sharing a document.
2. Smarter Share Menu
Share Files Without Leaving File Explorer
The Share menu in File Explorer is frequently underrated, yet it is incredibly robust. Right-clicking a file and selecting Share brings up a sleek menu offering options such as Nearby Share, Quick Share, Phone Link, and Email. This allows for easy transmission of files to your phone, emailing documents, or sharing images with nearby Windows PCs.
For images, the Share menu also provides detailed control. Users can select file compression options—Low, Medium, or High—during sharing, along with access to image editing functionalities like cropping and adding filters, ensuring that your files look precisely as intended before sending.
1. Native Archive Support
While File Explorer has long managed ZIP files efficiently, earlier it lacked support for other popular formats like RAR and 7Z, leading users to depend on third-party applications for file extraction.
Now, with built-in support for a broader array of archive formats, File Explorer allows for viewing, extracting, and managing multiple types of compressed files directly from its user-friendly interface. This enhancement not only increases convenience but also reduces the need for additional software.
In recent years, File Explorer has evolved to rival feature-rich third-party applications. Next time you open File Explorer, take a moment to explore these innovative features. You may just discover new shortcuts or tips that revolutionize the way you access, organize, and share your files forever.
Leave a Reply