The Files app is what Windows 11 File Explorer should be

With Windows 11, Microsoft offers a modern operating system, but it still lacks functionality in some ways. The Free Files app is exactly what we’d like to see the publisher offer natively on Windows.

Windows 11 is a great operating system. Or rather, it should become such a great operating system that Microsoft tweaks what they haven’t been able to integrate or fix in this version yet. Among the big changes made by the company are the new visual design used by the system and its many applications.

File Explorer has been reworked, one of the most used applications on Windows since it allows you to browse PC files, but without the revolution. The Files app proposes to correct this thanks to the project open source Already very popular.

Complete and up-to-date application

This free app Available in the Microsoft Store It is an alternative to File Explorer. It quickly captured many users thanks to its design that perfectly integrates with the codes used by Microsoft, both on Windows 10, and then on Windows 11.

In addition to the very successful visual aspect of the application, which also takes certain ideas from a file explorer such as a simplified context menu, it is the new functions that make Files so interesting.

The first addition that many users have requested for a long time: a tab system that allows to keep a single window of files in progress, but to manage several folders at the same time. It’s a system we already know from file explorers for other systems, particularly in GNU/Linux, and obviously something we know pretty well today with web browsers.

Without making a complete list of file functions, we can still mention the integration of the main services of clouds : Obviously OneDrive, but also Google Drive and iCloud. We find them in cloud disksOn the left you can easily manage files from one service to another.

Files also lets you set “tags” for files, as you can do on macOS. This then allows you to dynamically find all items that match these tags, regardless of the original folder. Finally, if you are not a fan of classic light theme or dark theme, the app offers a system of themes with custom colors.

The problem is, no matter how good and up-to-date, files cannot replace the original Windows File Explorer integration. The performance is noticeably lower because the Files application has to go through the Windows application layer which is heavier than File Explorer.

What we would like above all to see is Microsoft taking the same interest in their file explorer, as the file development team for their beautiful project. The latter is available on GitHub in the . formatopen source.