Xiaomi has updated its default File Manager app in its proprietary MIUI ROM, which its smartphones run on. With the new update, the Mi File Manager will now include integration with Google Drive, allowing users to access files stored in their Google accounts directly through the default file management app, and not resort to a third party application. The move will presumably be a significant one for users who prefer to use Xiaomi's own apps over third party ones — be it because of interface design, or sheer convenience.
To be clear, the Mi File Manager app is not the only one that offers integration between locally stored files and those stored on Drive. In fact, the Google Drive app itself, which is pre-loaded on most Xiaomi smartphones, also offers the same functionality. However, the updated Mi File Manager app will likely provide Xiaomi's users with the convenience of choice when it comes to choosing which service they wish to access. Xiaomi's proprietary UI, MIUI, has often attracted polarising views — with some appreciating it for its unique interface, tweaked ergonomics and features that offer a rather different Android experience.
However, many users have still stated that they prefer the stock Android experience, citing MIUI's resource-heavy power draw as a key deterrent. Taking note of this, Xiaomi began bridging the gap between the two clans of users when it introduced its first device in the Android One programme — Mi A1. The latest move, which merges Google Drive functionality with the default File Manager, is a part of similar objectives, and should sit well among both the divides of Xiaomi's community of users.
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