My favorite File Explorer alternative just got better, but you won't see the biggest addition in its change log

What you need to know

• The "Files" app received an update recently that adds a few small features and that improves the experience when using Google Drive.
• Files is a third-party file management app that has several features that Microsoft's File Explorer lacks.

The Windows 11 File Explorer is fine. Functional and consistent, Microsoft's app for file management has been around for ages. But File Explorer lacks some pizzazz. If you want a modern file management experience, you need to look at third-party alternatives. One option is the Files app, which I've covered for years. It's my favorite File Explorer alternative, thanks to its modern design, feature set, and development path. A recent update to Files adds some handy fixes noted in its change log, plus one change not mentioned anywhere.

The most recent update to Files brings the app to version 3.7. The app's change log outlines additions, such as an optional toolbar button to navigate to home and the option to hide the System Tray icon. The developers of Files also refactor the app's code for detecting Google Drive, which should result in a better experience. That change isn't noted in the release page of Files, but the developer shared it with me recently.

Google Drive has been an excellent cloud storage solution for years. It's received a bit of extra attention in the Windows space lately since Google announced the app will come to Snapdragon-powered PCs later this year . Google Drive is very popular, so its absence on Windows on Arm PCs was a deal breaker for many.

Files | $8.99 at Microsoft Store | Free at GitHub

This third-party file management app has a fresh design and several features not available in Microsoft's first-party File Explorer.

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Files v3.7

• Added a setting to hide the System Tray icon
• Focus existing tab when opening locations from external process
• View navigation history when right clicking back/forward buttons
• Added thumbnails to the breadcrumb flyouts
• Optional toolbar button to navigate home
• Customize CPU threads when creating archives
• Added an action to navigate home
• Experimental support for flattening folders
• Removed the loading animation from the home page
• Hold the shift key while pressing the properties button to open the File Explorer properties window
• Added support for opening the breadcrumb dropdown via keyboard navigation
• Added support for Infomaniak kDrive
• Added an option to close the active pane from the right-click context menu
• Corrected inverted scrolling behavior for icon size adjustment
• Fixed an issue where shortcuts couldn’t be created for commands
• Fixed an issue where resuming from background didn’t bring Files to the foreground
• Fixed an issue where context menus didn’t follow the custom font setting
• Fixed an issue where a shortcut to a folder couldn’t be created
• Fixed an issue where Google Drive wasn’t displayed when mounted as a folder
• Fixed an issue where layout settings didn’t persist across updates
• Fixed an issue where folders with file extensions were sometimes treated as files
• Fixed an issue where ejecting drives would sometimes fail
• Fixed an issue where double-clicking a file would sometimes navigate up
• Fixed issues with opening certain file formats