From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

PSA: What free Android file managers are integrated with Shizuku
<https://github.com/RikkaApps/Shizuku/>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=moe.shizuku.privileged.api>
a. Android 11 introduced SAF restrictions
b. Android 13 tightened them
c. Android 14/15 removed nearly all loopholes
d. Shizuku is now the only non-root method for full access

Shizuku uses the shell level to act as a middleman, enabling other
apps to borrow higher permissions without having to root Android devices.
It provides explicit support for accessing /Android/data and /Android/obb
on Android 14 and above (where my unrootable USA Samsung is Android 13).

Note: For 2026, every app on this list supports Shizuku natively because
Android 14/15 killed standard /Android/data access for everything else.

Background:
For my WhisperIME/Heliboard STT tutorial, I needed to not only look at
protected storage but also to write to it, preferably using a file manager.
adb shell sh /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/moe.shizuku.privileged.api/start.sh

Randomly, I chose FV File Manager (which supposedly has ads but I don't see 'em).
What's strange about FV File Manager (FolderV), is that
a. The icon is called FV File Explorer
b. In Muntashirakon App Manager, it's called FV File Explorer
c. Yet, the package name is com.folderv.file
d. And it has a whopping 7 trackers & Play app signing
e. Yet my unrooted degoogled Samsung Android 13 never displays ads.

Even so, I looked for other file managers which incorporate Shizuku.
Here's my list, so far, ordered mostly by privacy & functionality
A. Native Shizuku integration (true API support)
B. Partial or indirect Shizuku support (uses Shizuku for some operations)
C. Non-Shizuku apps that still access /Android/data (own bypasses)

As always, please improve where I may have made errors or omissions.

PSA: Free Android file managers with Shizuku support (2025)

Shizuku allows apps to borrow elevated shell-level permissions without
root. On Android 14/15 it is now the only reliable non-root method for accessing /Android/data and /Android/obb.

This PSA lists file managers that work with Shizuku, divided into three
simple categories:

A. Native Shizuku integration
B. Partial or indirect Shizuku support
C. Non-Shizuku apps that still access /Android/data

A. Native Shizuku integration
These apps call the Shizuku API directly and request Shizuku permission.

1. Material Files <me.zhanghai.android.files>
FOSS | 0 Trackers | No Ads | Minimalist Material Design
<https://github.com/zhanghai/materialfiles>
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/me.zhanghai.android.files/>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.zhanghai.android.files>

2. Fluffy <app.fluffy>
FOSS | 0 Trackers | No Ads | Best for Android TV + Shizuku
<https://github.com/mlm-games/fluffy>
<https://f-droid.org/eu/packages/app.fluffy/>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.fluffy>

3. Swift File Manager <com.leosun.swiftfilemanager>
Prop | 0 Trackers | No Ads | Modern UI for basic Shizuku tasks
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.leosun.swiftfilemanager>

4. Ultimate File Manager Pro <za.kilowatch.ultimatefilemanager>
Prop | 0 Trackers | No Ads | Includes a Wireless ADB Terminal
<https://www.reddit.com/r/UFManagerPro/>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=za.kilowatch.ultimatefilemanager>

5. FV File Manager <com.folderv.file>
Prop | 7 Trackers | No Ads | Fast updates for storage bypasses
<https://folderv.com/>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.folderv.file>
<https://github.com/folderv>

6. MiXplorer (Standard) <com.mixplorer>
Prop | 0 Trackers | No Ads | Most feature-complete free choice
<https://mixplorer.com/>
<https://xdaforums.com/t/app-2-2-mixplorer-v6-x-released-fully-featured-file-manager.1523691/>
The latest versions include both internal bypasses & native Shizuku.

B. Partial or indirect Shizuku support
These apps use Shizuku for some operations but do not fully integrate it.

7. X-plore File Manager <com.lonelycatgames.Xplore>
Prop | 3 Trackers | No Ads | Classic Dual-Pane Tree View
<https://www.lonelycatgames.com/apps/xplore>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lonelycatgames.Xplore>
X-plore does not use Shizuku as its primary file-access engine.
X-plore uses Shizuku only for specific privileged operations.

8. Cx File Explorer <com.cxinventor.file.explorer>
Prop | 3 Trackers | No Ads | Visual Storage & Cloud Analysis
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cxinventor.file.explorer>

9. MT Manager <bin.mt.plus>
Prop | 2+ Trackers | Has Ads | Specialized for APK editing/patching
<https://mt2.cn/>

C. Non-Shizuku apps that still access /Android/data
These apps do not use Shizuku. They rely on native code or legacy methods.

10. ZArchiver <ru.zdevs.zarchiver>
Prop | 0 Trackers | No Ads | No Internet Permission | Archive Expert
<https://zdevs.ru/en/za/apk.html>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ru.zdevs.zarchiver>
On Android 15, ZArchiver's internal bypass is significantly slower
than Shizuku-based apps because it has to use a shizuku-less
injection method that Google is actively patching in monthly security
updates.

Note that Solid Explorer and Total Commander are not included because
they're not entirely free & TC does not have full Shizuku support.

Note that Amaze is not on this list as Shizuku support remains an open
feature request (issue #3371 and others).

Note on ads (which I've never seen on my degoogled Android phone):
De-Googled Samsung devices often show no ads even in apps that contain
ad libraries. Samsung uses both Google and Samsung ad systems, and
removing or disabling these components prevents the ad code from running.
The ads are still in the app, but the phone cannot load them.

On most non-Samsung devices (Pixel, Motorola, OnePlus, etc.), removing
Google Play Services usually disables ads as well, but the behavior is
simpler because there is only one ad system. If the Google ad stack is
missing or blocked, ads usually fail to load.

How to verify Shizuku integration:
1. Start Shizuku.
2. Open the file manager.
3. Look for a Shizuku toggle or permission dialog.
4. Test access to /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/

If you have an app that doesn't support Shizuku but you need it to,
you can use Shizuku-Runner, but that's the topic of a different PSA.
--
Some people try to understand everything, even though that's impossible.
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From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Maria Sophia wrote:

PSA: What free Android file managers are integrated with Shizuku

Remove Swift File Manager (no longer exists) on the Google Play Store.
Can't use Fluffy for degoogled devices (requires Google Play account).
Can't use Ultimate File Manager (requires Google Play account)
Be careful with MT Manager (Chinese, and I can't find an English site).
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From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Maria Sophia wrote:

Can't use Fluffy for degoogled devices (requires Google Play account).
Can't use Ultimate File Manager (requires Google Play account)

Woo hoo!

I have had success on my unrootable heavily-degoogled Samsung following getting past the Google Play Integrity check for the Fluffy File Manager.

1. I installed the Fluffy File Manager <app.fluffy> using Aurora
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.fluffy>
2. Unfortunately, Aurora wouldn't save the APKs
(as Aurora's cache was empty right away)
3. So I used Muntashirakon to save it to
/storage/AppManager/apks/Fluffy_4.1.8.apks
4. I then deleted the app <app.fluffy> on the Samsung
5. I copied Fluffy_4.1.8.apks on the phone to Fluffy_4.1.8.zip on the PC
6. I extracted the split APKs on the PC & ran this spoofing command
7. I sideload the apks using a spoofed origin label
adb.exe install-multiple -i com.android.vending base.apk split_config.arm64_v8a.apk split_config.xhdpi.apk split_config.es.apk

Voila!
The Play Integrity/LVL check passed because the app recognizes com.android.vending as the installerPackageName.

This is mainly needed on Samsung, as other brands aren't as locked down.

On other brands, you can disable the Play Integrity / LVL license provider
to prevent the app from checking Google Play licensing because on AOSP
(Pixel, LineageOS, GrapheneOS), the shell user can disable components.

But, that won't work on USA unrootable degoogled Samsung.
adb shell pm disable app.fluffy /com.pairip.licensecheck.LicenseContentProvider
Exception occurred while executing 'disable':
... SecurityException: Shell cannot change component state

Because, on Samsung stock ROMs, with the Samsung security policy intact,
the shell user is NOT allowed to disable components of third-party apps.

Since I can't neutralize it from outside the shell, there is also LSPatch which performs DEX patching inside the app, which I may try later.

Also, supposedly Muntashirakon App Manager can perform installer-source spoofing to set it to com.android.vending, but it failed on my Samsung.

Running the second test, I kept all the files on the phone at all times.

1. Install Ultimate File Manager Pro using Aurora
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=za.kilowatch.ultimatefilemanager>
2. Again, unfortunately, Aurora wouldn't save the APKs
(as Aurora's cache was empty right away)
3. So I used Muntashirakon to save it to /storage/AppManager/apks/
4. Identify the exported .apks archive and the filesystem location
adb shell ls /storage/emulated/0/AppManager/apks/Ultimate*.apks
/storage/emulated/0/AppManager/apks/Ultimate File Manager Pro_125.0-GOOGLE.apks
5. Query the system for the active split APK installation paths
adb shell pm path za.kilowatch.ultimatefilemanager
package:/data/app/~~d-kNYBZ6N_XaNUkK7Yo0Jg==/za.kilowatch.ultimatefilemanager-gpxHZM4K-ZfKfSdELCUF7g==/base.apk
package:/data/app/~~d-kNYBZ6N_XaNUkK7Yo0Jg==/za.kilowatch.ultimatefilemanager-gpxHZM4K-ZfKfSdELCUF7g==/split_config.arm64_v8a.apk
package:/data/app/~~d-kNYBZ6N_XaNUkK7Yo0Jg==/za.kilowatch.ultimatefilemanager-gpxHZM4K-ZfKfSdELCUF7g==/split_config.xhdpi.apk
6. Extract or copy the split APK components into a temporary workspace
adb shell cp /data/app/~~d-kNYBZ6N_XaNUkK7Yo0Jg==/za.kilowatch.ultimatefilemanager-gpxHZM4K-ZfKfSdELCUF7g==/base.apk /data/local/tmp/base.apk
adb shell cp /data/app/~~d-kNYBZ6N_XaNUkK7Yo0Jg==/za.kilowatch.ultimatefilemanager-gpxHZM4K-ZfKfSdELCUF7g==/split_config.arm64_v8a.apk /data/local/tmp/arch.apk
adb shell cp /data/app/~~d-kNYBZ6N_XaNUkK7Yo0Jg==/za.kilowatch.ultimatefilemanager-gpxHZM4K-ZfKfSdELCUF7g==/split_config.xhdpi.apk /data/local/tmp/gfx.apk
Or, just unzip the split APKs into that temporary archive.
adb shell unzip /storage/emulated/0/AppManager/apks/Ultimate*.apks -d /data/local/tmp/
Archive: /storage/emulated/0/AppManager/apks/Ultimate File Manager Pro_125.0-GOOGLE.apks
inflating: /data/local/tmp/split_config.arm64_v8a.apk
inflating: /data/local/tmp/split_config.xhdpi.apk
inflating: /data/local/tmp/base.apk
inflating: /data/local/tmp/icon.png
inflating: /data/local/tmp/info.json
7. Remove the currently installed application instance
adb shell pm uninstall za.kilowatch.ultimatefilemanager
8. Create a new package installation session with explicit installer attribution
adb.exe shell pm install-create -i com.android.vending
Success: created install session [1525310504]
9. Stream split APK components into the session and finalize installation
adb shell pm install-write 12978356 base.apk /data/local/tmp/base.apk
Success: streamed 30927780 bytes
adb shell pm install-write 12978356 arch.apk /data/local/tmp/split_config.arm64_v8a.apk
Success: streamed 57566 bytes
adb shell pm install-write 12978356 gfx.apk /data/local/tmp/split_config.xhdpi.apk
Success: streamed 129396 bytes
adb shell pm install-commit 12978356
Success
10. Verify installer attribution metadata
adb shell dumpsys package za.kilowatch.ultimatefilemanager | findstr /i "installerPackageName"
installerPackageName=com.android.vending
11. Perform a basic launch test to confirm runtime behavior
adb shell monkey -p za.kilowatch.ultimatefilemanager -c android.intent.category.LAUNCHER 1
12.Remove temporary artifacts from the device
adb shell rm /data/local/tmp/base.apk /data/local/tmp/split_config.arm64_v8a.apk /data/local/tmp/split_config.xhdpi.apk /data/local/tmp/icon.png /data/local/tmp/info.json
--
Almost never is there a problem on a computer that we can't solve ourselves.

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