Files: Version 3.3 comes with a revamped layout picker and more

A popular third-party file explorer, Files, received an update recently, and the new version, 3.3, is available for download. With this update, Files has now refreshed layout picker, reliable thumbnails, additional spacing options for the layouts, and more.

Revamped layout picker

With the new intuitive layout picker design, it has become more functional. Here are the changes:

• The layout options are available in a single row with a large button.
• Once you select the layout, it is highlighted using the system accent color.
• A slider is added to control the size of items in the various views, including Columns, Tiles, Grids, Lists, and Details.

Thumbnail related changes

• More reliable experience when handling thumbnails.
• If a thumbnail takes time to load, you will get a shimmer animation indicating the content is loading
• Added DPI support for icons on the tabs, home page, and left-hand sidebar.

Layout preferences:

• A new settings page has been added to help you manage layout preferences easily.
• The Folder sub-menu name has changed to Files & Folders.
• The Continue where you left off when restarting Windows feature also works even if you haven’t closed Files before rebooting your device.

Here are the changes and improvements introduced to Files with the new version, as mentioned in the official changelog:

• Updated the project to WinAppSdk 1.5
• Renamed the “Favorites” section on the sidebar to “Pinned”
• Added a header to the home page
• Replaced the string ‘Layout mode’ with the simplified term ‘Layout’
• Added a link to our Discord server on the about page
• A prompt for credentials will now be displayed when access is denied to a network share
• Added support for opening and extracting mrpack files
• Removed the icon placeholder for web shortcuts in favor of the new shimmer animation
• Removed the transition when loading items in the Grid View and List View layouts
• Fixed issue where item selection wasn’t working properly the List View layout
• Fixed issue where the “Open with” and “Send to” submenus didn’t appear properly in Widgets
• Fixed issue where copying an item from an archive didn’t work
• Fixed issue where hashes weren’t able to calculate
• Fixed issue where some files failed to load properties
• Fixed icon overlay alignment in the Details View layout
• Fixed issue where items couldn’t be dropped from 7-zip
• Fixed issue where drag and drop from Edge didn’t work
• Fixed issue where video bitrate was displayed in plain text
• Fixed issue where the window wasn’t always brought to the foreground
• Fixed issue where focus would incorrectly switch to new tab
• Fixed issue with drag and dropping items onto .ahk files
• Fixed SocketException in GitHelpers.RequireGitAuthenticationAsync
• Fixed NullReferenceException in Item_Opening
• Fixed NullReferenceException in CloseTab
• Fixed NullReferenceException in ShareItemsAsync
• Fixed NullReferenceException in DuplicateSelectedTabAction.ExecuteAsync

If you are already using Files, you will receive a notification on the toolbar to install the update. However, in case, you don’t have Files installed, you can get it from the Files’ official page or the Microsoft Store.

With third-party apps getting better, File Explorer, the native app, has to be the best. Soon, it will have Copilot integrated into it, making it more useful than ever.

Are you using Files on your computer? If yes, share your thoughts about the app and why it is better than File Explorer in the comments section below.