So you’ve got an Android. And you’ve got a PC. And you want to access files from one on the other. How do you do that?
Today, we’re explaining everything you need to know about accessing Android files on your Windows PC. Here’s a step by step guide that will show you how to access Android files and folders on a Windows PC using your Wi-Fi connection. All you need is an Android device, a PC, and a Wi-Fi connection to which both devices are connected.
Step 1) Install ES-File Explorer. It’s a free app available for instant download from the Play Store.
Step 2) Open the app after it’s installed, then swipe from the left side of the screen and tap Remote Manager from the main menu.
Step 3) The Remote Manager menu will pop up. Now you need to configure it. To do that, tap the Settings icon. You’ll see that the app has already set a default port and labeled the current user as Anonymous.
Step 4) Ideally, you’ll add a username and password at this point. This prevents anyone else on your wireless local area network from accessing your Android files without authorization – which can be a frightening prospect if you have sensitive files on your Android device. To set a username and password, tap the Set Manage Account option, then enter your username and password and touch the “OK” button.
Step 5) Consider changing your current port so it’s easier to remember. You’ll need this port number to connect later, so it’s a good idea to make it a number you can remember off the top of your head. You can choose any number between 1025 and 65534.

Step 6) You can also change the root directory by tapping the Set root directory button. You should do this if you want to access the files on say, your external SD card. You can, of course, select files from both your internal and external storage by selecting the “/” button at the very top.
Step 7) Go back to the main screen and tap the Turn On button. This activates the FTP server, which is the platform that this app uses to connect your Android to your PC.
Step 8) Open your PC’s file explorer and click Map Network Drive under the Computer tab. Then click Connect to a website. Click the link that says “Connect to a Web site that you can use to store your documents and pictures”. This will open the Network Location Wizard.
Step 9) Move through the Network Location Wizard. When prompted, type in the FTP address you see on the ES File Explorer app (you should see it after you click the Choose a custom network location button).
Step 10) Log in anonymously or type in your username (if you setup a username and password, you’ll need to type in your username here). Name the location if you want, then finish the procedure.
That’s it! You’ll now see your Android device’s folder under “Network locations” under the normal Windows File explorer window. Once you’ve successfully logged in using your username and password, you can access all of your files directly from Windows File Explorer any time your Android device is connected over Wi-Fi.
If you want to speed up this process every time you do it, then tap Create Shortcut from the Remote Manager settings menu. This will place a quick shortcut icon on your homescreen. You can tap that shortcut icon at any point to launch your FTP server without going through all of the steps listed above.
Shout-out to our friends at Make Tech Easier for helping us with this tutorial!
Please note that this isn’t the only way to connect to Android from your PC: there are dozens of other apps that can do that same thing. However, we like this method because is sets up a permanent connection between your PC and Android. It takes longer to set up, but it’s easier if you’re planning to frequently connect to your Android via PC in the future.