Android Samba Client is not or much less the first application that allows you to connect to Windows and read your shared folders: it is one of the most sought-after of the file managers, and there are also specific applications such as AndSMB. The difference is that it is extremely simple -perhaps too much – and that is free of charge and without advertising.

1. Active sharing

If you already have experience setting up shared resources with other devices you can probably skip this entire section. Share folders in Windows used to be relatively simple, but in Windows 10 the thing has complicated it a bit.

First, you need to make sure that file sharing is turned on for your Network. It is normal that you have active for the private networks, but not for the public. You can check your status on the Settings of Windows 10 – Networks – Options > shared resources.

it Is possible that the shared folders are already selected by default. In that case, you do not need to change anything.

2. Share a folder

then, go to the folder you want to share, right-click on it and use the menu Share with – specific Users. This will open a floating window showing the active users in your installation of Windows. What’s more normal is that there is only one, you.

Choose which user you’re going to share that folder, and what permission will set: read only or read and write. When you’re ready, press the button to Share to confirm the selection and move to the next point.

3. Remember your user name

Formerly it would be very easy to know what is your user name in Windows because what you’d have to indicate during your installation. With Windows 8/10, however the thing is more complicated because Windows blend the Microsoft account and you can have doubts about if your user name is your full name, e-mail or both.

To get out of doubts it is easiest to open a command window (Start – Run – cmd.exe), write net user and press Enter. This command will print the list of active users in Windows by columns according to their type: Administrator, standard or guest.

In the screenshot above, for example, the user name is I, an account of type Administrator.

4. Get the workgroup and COMPUTER name

you Need to past two data before you can connect to your PC from Android: the PC name and workgroup. Unlike other similar applications, Android Samba Client does not scan the local network in search of this information, but you have to enter you manually.

The fastest way to obtain this in Windows is to press the keys Windows + Pause to open the options window of the System. The data you are interested in here is the PC name and workgroup, which often is WORKGROUP.

5. Connect on Android Samba Client

Assuming that you remember the Windows password, you already have all the data ready to connect to a Windows shared folder from Android Samba Client. Open the app and in the first box, Share Path, it adds two slashes // followed by the name of the PC, a slash / and the name of the folder that you have shared.

for example, for a PC called a “Pepito” in which you shared the folder “Downloads”, you would write //PEPITO/Downloads. Check the box My file share needs password, to fill the rest of information.

In Domain, type the workgroup name (e.g. WORKGROUP), in Username the user name that you got before, and, finally, the password that user has in Windows. When you have finished, hit Mount.

If all goes well, a text will notify you that the folder has been mounted successfully. If not, check that you have written all the data correctly.

6. Access to files

The share is already accessible from the system but the trick is that not all applications are able to take advantage of it. Specifically, Google mentions only the download manager and file manager stock Android. If your ROM is seriously modified, it is possible to not count on these applications (for example, Samsung includes its own file manager, and there does not appear these network drives).

What they do have all the Android is the selector of documents, and here you will be able to find the shared folder. To prove it, you can open for example Google Drive and click to upload a new file.

The shared Windows folders appear in the sidebar with an icon different from the rest and its original name. The system reads the files as if they were on the phone itself.

In Xataka Android | Google launches Android Samba Client, so you can access your PC files remotely

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The news How to access your PC files from Android with Android Samba Client was originally published in Xataka Android by Ivan Ramirez.