Google launches its smart storage manager ‘Files Go’ as beta; adds built-in file transfer like Apple Airdrop

Internet giant Google has launched a public beta version of its smart storage manager, ‘ Files Go’ on Google Play Store. [caption id=“attachment_4168239” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] The Google logo. Reuters.[/caption] This move comes days after the closed beta version of the app leaked out on the internet. The interesting part about this new app is the fact that this app is likely to be aimed at the ‘ **Android Go** ’ environment that the company was working on since last few months. Before the official launch of the app on the Google Play Store, Google accidentally listed the storage manager for public and it was enough for users to download and then re-upload the app on file-sharing platforms. Once the beta version of the app leaked out, Google itself turned the closed beta into public beta to get feedback from a larger audience. The interesting thing about this app is the fact that it gives access to areas like ‘App cache’ and gives information about ‘Large files’, ‘Downloaded files’, ‘Duplicate files’, and ‘Junk media’ on your smartphone device.

Looks like some of you found our Files Go Beta :-) We thought we’d make it available for a few more of you on the Play Store. Feedback welcome! https://t.co/qXLb1V0bKu

— Caesar Sengupta (@caesars) November 9, 2017

The app presents users with two tabs on the bottom, with the first tab labelled as ‘Storage’ and the second tab as ‘Files’. The first tab presents the users with information about the amount of free storage available out of the total storage of the device. The app analyses the content stored in the internal storage of the device to classify it as the categories above. The app works as a ‘smart storage manager’ providing you with the option of removing the files with just one button. Navigating to ‘Files’ tab, users will be greeted by ‘Downloads’, ‘Received files’, ‘Images’, ‘Videos’, ‘Audio’, and ‘Documents’ where the app has automatically organised all your smartphone folders in the given categories. [caption id=“attachment_4204233” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] Google Files Go Beta[/caption] One thing to note here is the fact that Google has baked-in the functionality to transfer the apps without the need for internet. The page gives the user to ‘Send’ files or ‘Reveive’. This is likely to work in a similar way as the Apple Airdrop works or the recently launched new ‘Nearby share’ feature in the Insider Preview build. According to a report by GSMArena, the feature uses ‘a combination of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth’ to send files to any other device nearby with ‘Files Go’ installed.