Google has now reportedly launched its budget device-geared file management application Files Go in China. It goes without saying that most of the company’s applications are actually banned in the region and the company was effectively forced to deliver the app via China-specific app stores. Namely, it is available via the Baidu App Store and a couple of others such as those ran by Xiaomi and Huawei. That means that users in China can now official start saving a substantial amount of space on their handsets and tablets. On average, the search giant’s Files Go application tends to save users around 1GB of storage space, making it a great tool for accomplishing that. However, the new release is a specially designed variation of the app, so users in China won’t necessarily be able to take full advantage of the savings.
That’s primarily because, aside from Google Translate, nearly every Google service, product, or application is banned by the Chinese government. Setting aside the reasoning behind the ban, that most likely means users of the new Files Go won’t be able to take advantage of its Google Photos function. Specifically, the app allows users in other regions to quickly and easily back up photos with the service before removing them. Users in China wouldn’t have access to Google Photos and that almost certainly means the feature is missing from its version of Files Go. There’s been no word as to what other special adjustments were required by the company either, in order to convince the local government to allow the app into the country officially.
On the other hand, the new version may also make it easier for OEMs to include Files Go as the default file manager on handsets sold in the region that are running Android Go. That’s a version of Android, currently based on Android 8.0 Oreo, that’s been massively optimized to suit the most affordable low-spec handsets possible. Perhaps more importantly, Google has been making its way into the region in other ways. Most recently, the company signed a deal with Xiaomi to bring its ARCore platform into the country. So, at very least, this marks another good effort between the company and the country’s governing bodies to begin moving forward.