Filaris

Coming to Google Play

Two panes,
one arrow,
no cloud.

An Android file explorer that works the way your computer does — and moves files straight to it over your own WiFi.

Free desktop companion for Windows. No installer, no .NET to set up.

Filaris — dual pane
This phone /storage/emulated/0/DCIM
NameSize
  • Camera
  • rooftop-sunset.jpg4.1 MB
  • market-street.jpg3.7 MB
  • notes.txt2 KB
  • harbour-fog.jpg5.2 MB
Laptop //studio-pc/Shared
NameSize
  • Invoices
  • contract.pdf318 KB
  • budget.xlsx96 KB
Encrypted · verified · nothing left the house 2 devices paired
What it does

A file explorer, not a gallery with folders.

Most Android file apps hide the filesystem behind categories. Filaris shows you the tree, the columns and the paths — and lets you keep two folders open at once.

Two panes

Open two folders side by side and move files between them with one arrow. Each pane navigates on its own, and either one can be a folder on another device instead of this phone.

Transfers over your WiFi

Share a folder from the phone and reach it from your computer, or the other way round. Files go straight from one device to the other across your own network — no cable, no cloud, no mobile data. You can even copy between two computers using the phone as a bridge.

Real network folders

Windows and Samba shares over SMB2 and SMB3, with signing and encryption when the server offers them. Type \\host in the address bar and you are in.

The everyday things

Details view with sortable columns or thumbnails. Search, hidden files, multi-select, a recycle bin you can undo from, ZIP and RAR, dark mode, high contrast, adjustable text — and nine languages, including Hebrew right-to-left.

Privacy

Nothing leaves your devices.

There is no Filaris server. When you send a file from your phone to your laptop, it goes from your phone to your laptop — that is the whole route.

  • Encrypted, and it checks who it is talking to. Transfers run over TLS. Each device records the other's certificate fingerprint the first time you pair them, and the app warns you if it ever changes.
  • Permission is granted once, per device, by you. A device has to ask before it can open your shared folder. You can see everything you authorised and revoke any of it. Only the folder you chose is visible — never the whole phone.
  • Every file is checked on arrival. Files travel with their SHA-256 hash. If something arrived different, Filaris tells you instead of quietly saving a broken file over a good one.
  • No accounts, no ads, no analytics. Nothing to sign up for and nothing to track. The app does not connect to the internet on its own. Read the privacy policy.
The other end

The desktop side is free.

A small Windows app puts a folder of your computer within reach of the phone, and shows the transfers as they run. Double-click it and it works — the runtime travels inside the file, so there is nothing to install and no administrator rights to ask for.

Download for Windows 48 MB · version 1.1

Linux and macOS are covered by a Python version of the same app.

RequiresWindows 10 or later, 64-bit. Nothing else — no .NET install, no admin rights.
PhoneAndroid 7.0 or later.
Finding each otherBoth devices on the same WiFi. The phone finds the computer by itself; you can also type the address.
First runWindows asks to allow the app through the firewall. Tick both private and public networks, or the phone will not see it.
PriceThe desktop app is free and stays free.