Android Tip 2. Put a shortcut to a folder on your home screen

Apps are all very well but sometimes you just need a short-cut to a bunch of files in a folder. Android doesn't have any built in method of doing this so you need to rely on a third party app. The one most commonly recommended for this purpose these days seems to be ES File Explorer. This is a powerful file manager so chances are you will find lots of other uses for it but here are quick instructions on how to use ES file manager to create a short-cut to an Android folder on your home screen.

1. Grab ES File Explorer File Manager from the Google Play store.
2. Make sure you have place on your home screen for at least one standard size icon before you begin.
3. Run ES File Explorer and navigate to the folder you wish to create a short-cut to.
4. Long press the folder (it should highlight with a tick).
5. From the menu at the bottom of the screen select "More".
6. Press "Add to Desktop" and you are done.
7. Go back to your home screen and the short-cut should be there. Pressing it will launch ES file explorer and display the contents of that folder.
8. Remember this is just a short-cut. You can safely move or delete the short-cut without affecting the files in the folder itself.

Note this post is part of a short series of Android tips on working with files and folders. I will be travelling for a while with patchy internet and I needed to get more intimate than usual with the Android file system to make sure I can still access the stuff I need while I am away. I have decided to post the tricks I find for my own future reference and for others who may need to do the same. Separate posts used for each tip to facilitate searching: Android Tips

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