Windows 11 has been around for quite a few months and it sure does bring in a ton of changes. We got to see the new Start menu, Taskbar, new Notifications panel, more colorful icons, and also the File manager got revamped. The File manager seems to be getting more and more features in the coming days of Windows 11 and it’s nice to try them out.  We also saw in a recent developer preview build from the dev channel that the file manager will now be having tabs. So, if you are someone that is looking for a replacement to the default File Explorer app on your Windows PC, this is the right place to be.

The new File Explorer has changed how it looks when you compare it to the File Explorer of Windows 10. Sure, it does feel snappy and responsive now, and also has rounded corners, which I think is super cool. But, what if you wanted to have a File Manager that was modern and customizable to your own likes and choices? Thankfully, there is an app that you can use that runs as an alternative to the original File Manager app. Let’s take a look at how you can get it and what needs to be done.

File Manager Alternative App for Windows

So, we are now going to look into the alternative option to the original File Manager app for Windows PC. This is a free-to-use app that has no ads whatsoever. Here is a detailed guide on how to get the Files App for your Windows PC. Oh and not to forget, this is an open-source app meaning that you can freely see its source code.

Download the App

  1. To download the app to your Windows PC you need to do the following.
  2. Launch the Microsoft Store on your Windows PC.
  3. Now, click on the search bar at the top of the store. Now, type in Files App and hit the enter key.
  4. From the results, you should see an app called Files App. Download the one that has been developed by Yair A.
  5. The app weighs around 266 MB and has been released back in 2019 on the Microsoft Store.

Launch the App

Here is how you can launch the new Files App on your Windows PC.

  1. Open up the Start Menu and click on all apps.
  2. Now, scroll through the list till you see the Files App and a title that says New.
  3. Simply click on it to launch the app.
  4. It will now open up the new Files App with lots of features for you to adjust and use.

The Interface

Now that you have launched the app, there are many things that you can see and customize  First off,  you will notice that the app has that fluent design going throughout the app. Now you can also see a lot of visual differences between the original File manager and the Files App. Yes, the app also has rounded corners that have been introduced with Windows 11. You can see that there is a lot of space between various elements and it is pleasing to look at.

If you look towards the top right corner of the app you will see the Settings gear icon. Clicking on it will bring you to the Settings for this Files App. Here you will be able to choose whether you want to have the app running in dark or light mode or let it change according to your system. Apart from just having the dark mode feature, you will also be able to pick from a number of themes that have different colors. You can even adjust the sidebar of the File Manager by either adding or removing various elements from it.

The best feature out of all of these is that you can now make use of the tabs that are present right within the Files app itself. You do not need to be a Windows Insider on the Dev Channel to make use of the brand new tabs feature. This is a feature that we will be able to see later on in one of the biggest updates coming over to Windows 11 later this year. Overall, a really great open-source app to install if you want to don’t want to use the default File Manager app.