How to find a downloaded file on android

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1. Get Instant Access via the Notifications Panel
2. Locate Downloaded Files Using the Pre-installed File Manager
3. Find Downloads Using a Third-Party File Manager
4. Find Android Downloads From Your Windows PC
5. Use Google Chrome to Find Your Downloads
Know Where to Look for Downloads on Your Phone
Find the file manager app
Better yet, use Files by Google

Where are my downloads? It's a question that every Android user has asked at some point. Here's how to find them.

Ever downloaded files on your Android device and not be able to find them? It happens all the time! Downloaded files don’t just disappear, though.

All downloads (photos, videos, and other media) end up somewhere on your phone, and there are several ways of finding them. Here are five ways to access downloads on your Android phone.

1. Get Instant Access via the Notifications Panel

First, the simplest method. Whenever you download a file on your Android device, you get a notification in your notification tray. Here’s how to locate downloads via the notifications panel.

Download your file (wait till it reaches 100%).
Tap on the download notification icon to see—and open—your downloads.

2. Locate Downloaded Files Using the Pre-installed File Manager

Your Android device should have come with a pre-installed file manager. Here’s how to find downloads using the default file manager app for Android.

Open the app drawer. You can usually open it by tapping the icon with several dots at the bottom of the home screen icon, or by swiping up from the bottom of the screen.
Tap on an app called My Files, or Downloads, or File Manager, depending on your Android device. If your Android device doesn’t have any of the above options, you may want to use a third-party file manager. We'll look at how to do that next.
Navigate the File Manager app to find the Download or Downloads folder. Tap on it to access your downloaded files.

When you tap a download it will open in the relevant app. In case you downloaded a RAR file, you might want to install one of the best RAR extractors for Android to open it.

3. Find Downloads Using a Third-Party File Manager

The default file manager app works just fine but isn’t the easiest to use or navigate. If you don’t like it, or your Android device doesn’t have one, you can download and install a third-party file manager.

A popular and helpful option is Cx File Explorer. It is easy to navigate and provides quick access to your downloads.

Download Cx File Explorer (Free) from Google Play Store.
Open the app, then select Local > Downloads to see a list of downloaded files.
Select and open the file you’re looking for.

Sometimes, downloads become sluggish or even fail. Thankfully, an internet download manager can help accelerate your download speeds and resume interrupted downloads due to network problems. Here are the best download managers for Android.

4. Find Android Downloads From Your Windows PC

If you find it hard navigating through a small screen, you can always view your Android downloads from your Windows PC.

Connect your Android device to your computer using a USB cable. You may get a notification on your Android device asking what you want to do with the USB connection. Choose File Transfer.
Click on the Phone option in Windows Explorer. Navigate to the Downloads folder and you will be able to see your downloaded files.

This is one of several ways you can transfer files from your Android phone to your PC.

5. Use Google Chrome to Find Your Downloads

If you're using Google Chrome as your browser you can access your downloads directly though the menu. All other browsers have a similar option.

Open Google Chrome.
Tap on the three dots at the top-right corner of the Chrome browser.
Select Downloads, and the files you downloaded from the internet will appear. To search for a specific download file, tap the search icon at the top of the screen.

Know Where to Look for Downloads on Your Phone

And there you have it; now you know how to find downloads on Android.

It’s almost as if files, photos, and videos disappear after downloading them to your Android device. The files are there, hidden somewhere, and finding them shouldn’t be that hard.

It can be incredibly convenient to use Android to download files and forgo a computer for things like editing a document for work, adding to a presentation for class or downloading a photo that you want to use as a wallpaper. The problem is, it's not always clear where the file you just downloaded was saved on your phone or tablet.

When Android first launched, finding files was especially cumbersome due to the fact that not every Android device came with a file manager app. A lot has changed since then. Most Android devices now come with some sort of file manager preinstalled, and for those that don't, there's a better alternative anyway.

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Find the file manager app

Left: Files app on a Pixel 3. Right: My Files on a Galaxy S10 Plus.

Screenshots by Jason Cipriani/CNET

By far the easiest way to find downloaded files on Android is to look in your app drawer for an app called Files or My Files. Google's Pixel phones come with a Files app, while Samsung phones come with an app called My Files. Regardless of which device, once you find and open the file manager, use it to look for the Downloads folder and open it.

There you will find your downloaded files in chronological order (newest to oldest, in most cases). You can, however, change how the files are sorted. In Samsung's My Files app, tap on the three-dot menu icon and then select "Sort by." In the Files app on a Pixel phone, tap on the "Modified" text to change how the app sorts your files.

Once you've located your downloaded files, you can open a file with a tap, or bring up more options with a long-press on the file.

Better yet, use Files by Google

The Files by Google app is one of the best file manager apps for Android users.

Screenshots by Jason Cipriani/CNET

If you don't like the default file manager app on your Android phone, or it doesn't have one, download the Files by Google app (formerly Files Go) from the Play Store. The app is easy to navigate, provides quick access to your downloads folder and helps you free up storage space.

When you open Files by Google, the app will recommend various options like clearing out app caches, removing junk files or deleting backed-up photos from your device. There's even an AirDrop-like file-sharing feature baked into the app that makes it really easy to share files with someone who is nearby.

Once you've installed the app, you can find your downloaded files by selecting the Browse tab at the bottom of the app, then tapping Downloads. Tap a file to open it, or long-press on it to select the file and delete, share or rename it.