Getting started

Butler is a file explorer for Android 8.0 and newer. It is in active development, so the layout and available features may change between versions.

Install Butler

Download Butler from Google Play or GitHub releases. To try the Play beta, join open testing.

For a GitHub download, select the APK for the version you want. Android may ask you to allow installation from your browser or file manager. Only grant that permission to an app you trust. See Verify downloads to check the APK’s signing certificate.

Open your first tab

Complete the welcome screens. Read the choices about optional update checks and messages.
Create a tab and choose Explorer.
Open your device storage or add a storage location. If Butler asks for access, follow the system prompt. Setup & permissions explains what each permission does.
Open a folder to browse it. Press and hold a file to select it and see the available actions.

You do not need root or Porter to manage ordinary shared files. Start with the access you need; grant more only when a task calls for it.

Tabs and panes

A tab holds a tool and what you are doing in it. You can keep several Explorer tabs open, leave a search ready to return to, or edit a file without replacing your file list.

A pane is a visible area of the screen. Tabs can exist without being visible; panes determine how many you see at once.

Open the Butler menu, then New tab, to choose a tool. The Tab manager in the same menu also has a New tab card. With no tabs open, use Create tab.
On a phone, swipe left or right to move between open tabs; swiping past the last tab offers a new one. Layouts with a tab rail list your tabs on the side. In a multi-pane layout, choose which pane should show the tab.
Open the Butler menu, then Layout, to change the arrangement. Available layouts depend on the window size, and some require Pro.
Drag the divider between panes to give one tool more room.
In the tab manager, press and hold a tab’s title bar to reorder it. Press and hold its preview to select several tabs.

Without Pro, up to 5 tabs can be open at a time.

Closing a tab is different from deleting a file. Take care with an editor tab that has unsaved changes; read the confirmation before closing it.

Choose a tool

Tool	Use it for
Explorer	Browse storage, organize files and open them in other tools or apps.
Search	Find files by name or search their contents.
Editor	Read and edit text files.
Apps	Browse installed apps and the actions available for them. Some actions need elevated access.
History	Inspect file-operation results and problems.

Start with Working with files for copying, moving, deleting and recovering items from trash.

Make it yours

Settings include appearance and tab-layout options. Without Pro, Butler follows your device’s light or dark mode with its default green theme. Pro lets you pick the theme mode, a contrast style, Material You colors from your wallpaper (Android 12 and newer), or a color of your own.

If a feature asks for an upgrade, see Versions and upgrades. If access fails, check Setup & permissions before granting broader permissions.