Solid Explorer, an Android file explorer app with an appropriately solid feature list, will be getting full support for Android TV and Chrome OS in the near future, according to the app’s creator, Krzysztof Głodowski. He took to Google+ to announce that the Chrome OS version of Solid Explorer is almost ready, and will feature trackpad and keyboard support, along with a special windowed mode that makes it easier to use while multitasking. The Android TV version, meanwhile, won’t gain much in the way of additional support or features, but will be scaled up properly for large TV screens, making it easier to use than a straight port of the version of the app that’s already on smartphones and tablets. According to Głodowski, proper Android TV support would have meant a near-full rewrite of the app, an impractical venture that likely would not have provided a good enough result to justify the time and effort involved.
Solid Explorer making the jump to Android TV is great news, since the platform’s selection of full-on file managers is extremely limited at the moment. Many users were disappointed to see the once-great ES File Explorer become jam packed with ads and non-negotiable features that many users did not want or need, which means that Solid Explorer will be filling a void of sorts. As for Chrome OS, there are a number of options for file explorers, but fans of Solid Explorer in particular have had to make do with shoddy compatibility and various scaling and UI issues thus far by simply downloading the Android version from the Play Store.
For those not in the know, Solid Explorer is one of the more straightforward file explorer options on Android right now, but also packs in more features than its threadbare counterparts without venturing too far into bloat territory or verging on being worthy of consideration as adware. The app features a refreshingly simple Material Design UI, along with a few extra features such as cloud file management with compatible platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox, and streaming options including Chromecast integration. It also has a variety of plugins and customization options. Upon downloading, you’ll get 14 days of premium features, after which you’ll have to use the stripped-down version, or pay $1.99 to unlock the full version and remove all ads.