Android 6.0 Marshmallow has a hidden file manager

Google showcased some key features of the Android 6.0 Marshmallow back in August that included Google Now on Tap, the native fingerprint support, among others. But now, it has been revealed that the new Android operating system comes with a pre-installed file manager.

As spotted by PhoneArena, the hidden file manager can be found by navigating to Settings, Explore and then scrolling down to the Storage and USB option. Unlike previous file managers, it is not available under the app drawer.

The file manager works similar to ES File Manager or File Commander. On Android Marshmallow, it allows users to view internal and external storage on a device. The app also allows you to copy files from one folder and paste them to another. Users can sort files out in a specific order or share them using other apps. However, there is no option to rename or cut existing files and you cannot make new folders on internal or external storage.

The stock file manager has an easy-to-use interface and a search functionality that lets you search for any of the existing files. You can install some of the popular third-party file managers if the stock one does not fulfil requirements.

Google has not yet made its file manager public via Play Store. But all the devices running on Android Marshmallow -- either through a software update or preloaded -- have the stock file manager under settings.

The new effort to pre-installed the file manager on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, may make competition tougher for developers, who have listed some simple file manager apps for Android. Further, it gives more reason to Apple's iOS users to switch to Android, as iOS does not by default have the file manager-like support.