📖 How-To Guides

Step-by-step instructions for common tasks.

This guide now has two layers:

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Note: Feature Availability by Flavor

Some features are only available in specific flavors. The table below is derived from FLAVOR_MATRIX.md, which is generated from the build itself; the XR / noLegal surface is intentionally kept as one column because it depends on headset hardware and sideload build rules.

Feature Standard Lite Photos Legacy XR / noLegal
Network folders (SMB, SFTP, FTP) ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
Cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox) ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
Audio playback & lyrics ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓
Background audio playback ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓
Internet Streams (radio, HLS/DASH, RTSP) ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓
Document viewer (PDF, Text) ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓
EPUB reader ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓
Translation & OCR ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓
Image editing ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Home-screen (launcher) mode ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓

Home-screen mode is the one row where the combined last column splits: it ships in the noLegal sideload build but not in the VR/XR build, where the headset provides its own home environment.

Two rows for audio, because these are two separate build decisions: Lite plays local audio files including lyrics, but stops when the app leaves the foreground - it has no background playback service. Lite has no Internet Streams screen at all, so radio and HLS/DASH/RTSP are not merely limited there, they are absent.

If a feature is marked with “✗”, choose the Standard or XR / noLegal build that matches your hardware and distribution path.

Table of Contents

Scenario Groups

Home media, TV and living room flows

  1. Turn a NAS into a living-room media shelf
  2. Run a slideshow with background music for a room display
  3. Use FMS on Android TV Box
  4. OpenXR VR Immersive Cinema

Travel, reading and document workflows

  1. Prepare a folder for travel without stable internet
  2. Read cloud documents and EPUBs on the go
  3. Translate signs, scans and screenshots with OCR
  4. Hand network files off to specialist apps
  5. Quick Math & Text Calculations
  6. Cloud Markdown & Code Notes

Power-user and mixed media workflows

  1. Sort a family photo archive with Quick Sort
  2. Capture the Screen with Edge Gestures
  3. Create Slideshow with Background Music
  4. Read E-Books (EPUB)
  5. Auto-Translation
  6. Home-Screen Smart Widgets

Core Task Reference

  1. Connect to Network Drive (SMB)
  2. Connect to SFTP/FTP Server
  3. Import a Windows Companion Share (scan a code or import a file)
  4. Connect to Cloud Storage
  5. Set Up Quick Sort Folders
  6. Use Touch Zones
  7. Edit Photos
  8. Create Slideshow
  9. Protect Folder with PIN
  10. Empty Trash
  11. Backup Settings
  12. View Text and PDF Files
  13. Open Network Files in External Apps
  14. View Song Lyrics
  15. Record Your Screen
  16. Record a Voice Note
  17. Use the In-App Camera
  18. Find and Delete Duplicate Files
  19. View Your Usage Statistics
  20. Use an SD Card or Connected Drive
  21. Use the App as Your Home Screen
  22. Choose Where Captures and Downloads Are Saved
  23. Receive Files Shared from Another App
  24. Use the Built-In Programs

Scenario Groups

These sections are intentionally more varied than the core reference blocks below. Each scenario mixes a fast path with context, trade-offs, and the situations where FastMediaSorter is especially strong.

⭐ Featured: bring your PC’s folders to your phone with one scan. Run the free Fast Media Sorter for Windows companion on your PC, pick the folders with your videos, music, documents, or photos, and it shows a code on screen. On the phone, tap Add, choose Import by barcode, point the camera at the code - the PC folders are connected instantly, with no address, port, or password typing. Full walkthrough: Open PC Folders by Scanning a Code • quick recipe: Import a Windows Companion Share.

⌚ Wear OS Smartwatches: Using a Wear OS watch? See our step-by-step guides for Listen to Music on Your Watch and Connect Smartwatch to NAS & PC Shares.

Home media, TV and living room flows

Turn a NAS into a living-room media shelf

Available in: Standard, Photos, Legacy, XR/noLegal

Quick Path

  1. Add your NAS as an SMB resource.
  2. Run Scan Network if you do not want to type the IP manually.
  3. Open the resource from a TV box, tablet, or phone.
  4. Start browsing videos, photos, or documents directly from the NAS.

Scenario Walkthrough

When It Helps

Avoid This

Run a slideshow with background music for a room display

Available in: Standard, Lite, Legacy, XR / noLegal (Photos has no audio support)

Quick Path

  1. Add one image source and one music source.
  2. In Settings → Media → Images, enable Play music during slideshow.
  3. Pick the music resource.
  4. Open a photo folder and press Play.

Scenario Walkthrough

When It Helps

Avoid This

OpenXR VR Immersive Cinema

Available in: Standard, Lite, Legacy, vr, noLegal (single-eye 3D); vr and noLegal (full headset immersion - both builds ship the immersive view, and it opens when the app detects an OpenXR headset and the VR master switch is on)

Quick Path - enable, configure, watch 3D

  1. Single-eye 3D (every flavor, nothing to enable): open any SBS/OU/180°/360° file - it’s auto-detected and cropped to one eye so it looks right on a normal flat screen. This is controlled by Settings > Playback > “Show 3D content from one eye” (default ON). To force a specific format instead of relying on auto-detect, open the player’s Control dialog on a vr/XR-noLegal build and pick a mode from the 3D tab - Auto-detect, Side-by-Side (SBS), Over-Under (OU), or Mono (Disabled); the choice is remembered for that file.
  2. Full immersion on a Quest (vr or XR/noLegal build): with the headset on, tap the VR badge in the player while a 3D file is open, choose Open in VR Cinema from a file’s overflow menu in Browse, or open Settings > Media and tap Test Immersive to try a sample. Any of the three opens a per-eye OpenXR view of that content.
  3. Watch: inside the immersive view a HUD strip carries the controls - a position bar you drag with the controller ray to seek (elapsed and total time beside it), plus the pickers that apply to this file: audio track only when there is more than one, subtitles only when the file has them, stereo depth only for stereo content. HIDE and EXIT sit at opposite ends of the strip; hiding it removes it completely and a trigger pull brings it back without activating whatever is underneath. The thumbstick seeks 10 seconds a step; hold grip while pushing it to step between files instead - next and previous walk the whole resource list, not just the file you opened. On the first immersive entry after install a legend lists every controller binding; any press closes it, and the HELP button on the strip brings it back at any time.

Scenario Walkthrough

When It Helps

Avoid This

Play Internet Radio on a Car Head Unit or Audio Player

Available in: Standard, Legacy, XR / noLegal - the Streams screen is absent in Lite and Photos

Quick Path

  1. Open the main window dropdown and tap Streams, or go to Settings > Media > Streams and enable the toggle if it is off.
  2. Tap ⋮ at the end of the toolbar, choose Add stream, and paste any radio station URL (http:// or https://, .m3u8, rtsp://).
  3. Tap the station row - audio starts in the sticky bottom mini-control. The list stays scrollable.
  4. For a larger catalog, tap Import and enter a remote .m3u URL, or download the curated FastMediaSorter catalog from the Extensions screen.

Scenario Walkthrough

When It Helps

Avoid This

Travel, reading and document workflows

Prepare a folder for travel without stable internet

Available in: Standard, Lite, Photos, Legacy, XR / noLegal (PDF and EPUB reading needs Standard, Legacy, or XR / noLegal)

Quick Path

  1. Create or choose one local folder for the trip.
  2. Copy the media, PDFs, EPUBs, or notes you need into it before leaving Wi-Fi.
  3. Open that folder once in FastMediaSorter so thumbnails and last positions are ready.
  4. Use the folder offline during the trip.

Scenario Walkthrough

When It Helps

Avoid This

Read cloud documents and EPUBs on the go

Available in: Standard, Legacy, XR / noLegal - Lite and Photos cannot read documents or EPUBs at all; cloud storage is additionally absent in Lite

Quick Path

  1. Add your cloud provider in Cloud Storage.
  2. Open the folder that contains PDFs or EPUBs.
  3. Tap the file directly from the cloud resource.
  4. Continue reading from your last saved position later.

Scenario Walkthrough

When It Helps

Avoid This

Translate signs, scans and screenshots with OCR

Available in: Standard, Legacy, XR / noLegal

Quick Path

  1. Open an image, PDF, or text file.
  2. Show the command panel.
  3. Tap Translate.
  4. Confirm the model download on first use if needed.

Scenario Walkthrough

When It Helps

Avoid This

Hand network files off to specialist apps

Available in: Standard, Photos, Legacy, XR/noLegal

Quick Path

  1. Open a file from SMB, SFTP, or FTP.
  2. Tap ⓘ Info.
  3. Tap Download and Open.
  4. Pick the specialist app from the Android chooser.

Scenario Walkthrough

When It Helps

Avoid This

Quick Math & Text Calculations

Available in: Standard, Legacy, XR / noLegal

Quick Path

  1. Open any PDF document, EPUB e-book, text file, or run OCR translation on an image.
  2. Long-press to select any text block containing numbers or math equations.
  3. From the floating text action menu, tap the Calculator button.
  4. The calculator evaluates the mathematical formula instantly in a popup overlay.

Scenario Walkthrough

When It Helps

Avoid This

Cloud Markdown & Code Notes

Available in: Standard, Photos, Legacy, XR / noLegal (local, network, and cloud); Lite (local folders only)

Quick Path

  1. Browse to any local folder, home NAS (SMB), FTP/SFTP server, or cloud drive (Google Drive).
  2. Tap the New Note (📝) button in the folder toolbar.
  3. Type your content inside the editor. The app highlights Markdown tags and code syntax.
  4. Tap Save (or let it auto-save) to write the changes directly to the remote source.

Scenario Walkthrough

When It Helps

Avoid This

Power-user and mixed media workflows

Sort a family photo archive with Quick Sort

Available in: Standard, Lite, Photos, Legacy, XR / noLegal

Quick Path

  1. Add your destination folders to Quick Sort.
  2. Open the source folder with unsorted family photos.
  3. Use numbered buttons or touch zones while reviewing images.
  4. Send keepers to destination folders immediately.

Scenario Walkthrough

When It Helps

Avoid This

Capture the screen with edge gestures

Available in: Standard, XR/noLegal

Quick Path

  1. Go to Settings → Operations → Edge screen gestures → Gesture overlay and turn it on.
  2. While viewing any file, swipe in from the left edge to open the capture menu.
  3. Pick an action - the strip closes and the action runs.

What the strip can do

Good to know

When It Helps

Core Task Reference

How to Add or Import an Internet Stream

Available in: Standard, Legacy, XR / noLegal (all protocols) - the Streams screen is absent in Lite and Photos

Add a single URL:

  1. Open Streams from the main window dropdown.
  2. Tap the ⋮ button at the end of the toolbar, then Add stream.
  3. Paste the stream URL (http/https radio, .m3u8, rtsp://). Tap Save.
  4. Tap the row to start playback.

Import a remote .m3u playlist:

  1. In the Streams screen, tap ⋮ > Import from URL.
  2. Enter the remote .m3u address. Tap Import.
  3. All stations from the file appear in the list.

Download the curated FastMediaSorter catalog:

  1. Open Settings > Extensions (or the Welcome onboarding Streams row).
  2. Tap Download next to the Streams catalog entry.
  3. After download, the catalog rows appear in Streams with topic/language chips and are searchable and sortable.

How to Connect to Network Drive (SMB)

What you need:

Available in: Standard, Photos, Legacy, XR / noLegal flavors

Steps:

  1. Tap “+” button on main screen
  2. Select “Network folder SMB”
  3. Fill in details:
    • Auto-Discovery (New):
      1. Tap “Scan Network” button
      2. Wait for devices to appear in the list
      3. Select your device from the list
      4. The IP address will be filled automatically

    • Manual Input:

      Server/Path: \\192.168.1.100\photos
Username: john
Password: ****
Display Name: Home NAS (optional)
  4. Tap “Test Connection” to verify
  5. Tap “Save”

Server address formats:

Tips:

Troubleshooting: → See TROUBLESHOOTING.md

How to Connect to SFTP/FTP Server

What you need:

Steps:

  1. Tap “+” button on main screen
  2. Select “SFTP / FTP”
  3. Choose Protocol: SFTP or FTP

  4. Fill in details:

    Host: 192.168.1.100
Port: 22 (SFTP) / 21 (FTP)
Username: username
Password: ****
Remote Path: /home/user/photos (optional)
  5. Tap “Connect”

Advanced:

Troubleshooting: → See TROUBLESHOOTING.md

How to Import a Windows Companion Share

What it is: the companion is a feature of Fast Media Sorter for Windows (formerly FastMediaSorter LITE) - the free Windows media sorter from the same author. It shares chosen PC folders over SFTP and exports a ready-made connection - no manual server setup, no host/port/key typing on the phone. You bring it to the phone by scanning a QR code on the PC screen, or by importing a .fmscfg file.

Available in: Standard, Photos, Legacy, XR/noLegal (barcode scan needs a camera; the file method works everywhere, including VR)

Prefer a guided, screenshot-friendly version? See the scenario guide Open PC Folders by Scanning a Code.

Get Fast Media Sorter for Windows:

On the PC:

  1. Install and run Fast Media Sorter for Windows, open the Share tab in settings.
  2. Pick the folder(s) to share - the app starts the SFTP server, generates keys and sets up autostart by itself.
  3. It shows a QR code on screen. It can also Save .fmscfg if you prefer a file.

On the phone - Method A, scan the code (fastest):

  1. Tap the “+” button on the main screen.
  2. Tap “Import by barcode” - it sits next to the four resource-type cards and in the SFTP form header.
  3. Point the camera at the QR on the PC (tap Torch in a dark room), then confirm the Import access dialog.
  4. Done - one read-only resource per shared folder appears, with the server key pinned automatically.

On the phone - Method B, import the file:

  1. On the PC, use Save .fmscfg and transfer the file to the phone (email, Telegram, or a shared location).
  2. Tap “+” -> “SFTP / FTP” -> “Import from file” and pick the .fmscfg file. If it arrived as a Telegram/email attachment, just tap the attachment.
  3. Confirm the Import access dialog - the read-only resources appear.

Note: the QR code and the config file both embed the access password - treat them like a key, do not publish the screenshot or the file. The Import by barcode entry is hidden on camera-less devices and VR headsets; use Method B there.

How to Connect to Cloud Storage

Supported Providers:

Steps:

  1. Tap “+” button on main screen
  2. Select “Cloud Storage”
  3. Select provider: Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox
  4. Tap “Sign in..” button
  5. Follow the browser/app authentication flow
  6. Grant required permissions
  7. Select folders to sync
  8. Tap “Done”

Notes:

Privacy:

Check Network Speed

Supported for: SMB, SFTP, FTP, Cloud (Google Drive)

Automatic Check: When you add a new network resource, the app automatically runs a speed test in the background. Results (Read/Write speed) are saved to the resource settings.

Manual Check:

  1. Go to Manage Resources
  2. Edit a network resource (pencil icon)
  3. Scroll down to the bottom
  4. Tap “Speed” button
  5. Wait ~15 seconds for “Analyzing speed..”
  6. See results:
    • Read Speed (Mbps)
    • Write Speed (Mbps)
    • Recommended Threads (for optimal performance)

How to Set Up Quick Sort Folders

Method 1: From Settings

  1. Settings → Operations tab → Quick Sort destinations
  2. Tap “Add to Quick Sort”
  3. Select an existing folder from list
  4. Folder gets assigned number (0-9) and color
  5. Repeat for up to 30 folders

Method 2: From Folder Settings

  1. Main screen → Long-press on folder
  2. Tap “Edit” (pencil icon)
  3. Enable “Mark for Quick Sort”
  4. Tap “Save”

Using Quick Sort:

While viewing files:

File is instantly copied/moved to that folder!

With a keyboard or TV remote: connect one and the destination buttons get a digit badge - press the matching number key to fire that destination instantly, no tapping needed.

How to Use Touch Zones

What are Touch Zones?

The screen is divided into 9 invisible areas for quick actions:

┌─────────┬─────────┬─────────┐
│  BACK   │  COPY   │ RENAME  │
│   (1)   │   (2)   │   (3)   │
│         │         │         │
├─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│  PREV   │  MOVE   │  NEXT   │
│   (4)   │   (5)   │   (6)   │
│         │         │         │
├─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│ COMMAND │ DELETE  │  PLAY   │
│   (7)   │   (8)   │   (9)   │
│         │         │         │
└─────────┴─────────┴─────────┘

Legend:

  1. BACK - Return to file list
  2. COPY - Copy file to destination
  3. RENAME - Rename current file
  4. PREV - Go to previous file
  5. MOVE - Move file to destination
  6. NEXT - Go to next file
  7. COMMAND - Open command menu
  8. DELETE - Delete current file
  9. PLAY - Start/Stop slideshow

Enable Overlay (recommended for beginners):

  1. Settings → Playback
  2. Enable “Always show touch zones overlay”
  3. Now you’ll see a semi-transparent grid

Try it:

  1. Open any photo
  2. Tap top-right corner → Next file
  3. Tap top-left corner → Previous file
  4. Tap middle-right corner → Delete file
  5. Tap middle-left corner → Copy file

Disable if not needed: Settings → Playback → “Always show touch zones overlay” = OFF

Then use command panel buttons instead.

How to Edit Photos

Supported operations:

Steps:

  1. Open a photo in full-screen viewer
  2. Tap “Edit” button (or middle-left touch zone)
  3. Choose operation:
    • Rotate: Tap rotate icon
    • Flip: Tap flip icon
    • Filter: Select from list
    • Adjust: Use sliders
  4. Tap “Save”

Notes:

How to Create Slideshow

Steps:

  1. Open any folder with photos
  2. Tap first photo to open viewer
  3. Tap “Play” button (or bottom-right touch zone)
  4. Slideshow starts automatically

Customize speed:

  1. Edit folder settings:
    • Main screen → Long-press folder → Edit
  2. Change “Slideshow Interval”:
    • Fast: 2 seconds
    • Normal: 5 seconds
    • Slow: 10 seconds
  3. Tap “Save”

Controls during slideshow:

How to Create Slideshow with Background Music

Requirements:

Setup:

  1. Settings → Media tab → Images
  2. Enable “Play music during slideshow”
  3. Tap “Select Music Source” button
  4. Choose a resource that contains your music files
  5. Tap “Save” or close settings

Playing slideshow with music:

  1. Open any folder with photos/images
  2. Tap first photo to open viewer
  3. Tap “Play” button (or bottom-right touch zone)
  4. Slideshow starts with background music playing

How it works:

Notes:

Customize music selection:

Troubleshooting:

How to Protect Folder with PIN

Steps:

  1. Main screen → Long-press on folder
  2. Tap “Edit” (pencil icon)
  3. Scroll to “PIN Code” field
  4. Enter 4-6 digit PIN (e.g., 1234)
  5. Tap “Save”

Now:

Remove PIN:

Forgot PIN?

How to Work with Folders (select, copy, move)

When subfolders are shown as separate items in the list, a folder row behaves like a file row.

Turn folder rows on: Settings → General → Show subfolders separately. The same switch exists per resource in the resource editor.

Steps:

  1. Tap the checkbox on a folder row, or long-press the row, to select a single folder. A short tap still opens the folder.
  2. Use the row’s ⋮ menu, or the selection action bar, to choose Copy, Move, Rename or Delete.
  3. Pick the destination. Files and folders in the same selection travel together in one operation.
  4. The destination gets the whole structure - every subfolder and file inside the source folder.

Across resource types: a folder can be copied or moved between the device, SMB, SFTP, FTP and cloud resources - the structure is recreated on the receiving side.

What is refused, and why: a destination inside the folder itself, or the folder’s own current location, is rejected before anything is copied; a destination picked through the system folder chooser that has no real file path cannot receive folders. The message names the reason so you can pick another destination.

Cancelling: a folder transfer shows progress and can be stopped. Whatever was already written stays at the destination - check the folder before starting again. A move deletes each source item only after its copy succeeded, so nothing is lost in between.

Sending it to the background: you do not have to sit and watch the progress dialog. Dismiss it and the transfer keeps running, staying visible in Browse as a strip along the bottom showing the operation, the percentage and the file it is on right now. Tap that strip to bring the full progress dialog back, cancel included.

How to Empty Trash

Deleted files go to .trash/ folders and stay there until manually emptied.

Method 1: Clear All Trash

  1. Settings → Operations tab → File deletion and trash
  2. Tap “Clear Trash”
  3. Confirm deletion
  4. All .trash/ folders across all resources are emptied

Method 2: Per-Folder

  1. Use a file manager app
  2. Navigate to folder (e.g., /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Camera)
  3. Find .trash/ subfolder
  4. Delete manually

Warning: This is permanent deletion! Files cannot be recovered.

How to Backup Settings

Export Settings:

  1. Settings → General tab → Backups, restore and settings export
  2. Tap “Export All Settings to File”
  3. Choose location (e.g., Downloads)
  4. File saved as fastmediasorter_backup.xml

Restore Settings:

  1. Settings → General tab → Backups, restore and settings export
  2. Tap “Import Settings from File”
  3. Select backup file
  4. Tap “Restore”
  5. App restarts with restored settings

What’s included: ✅ Quick Sort folders ✅ Display preferences ✅ Slideshow intervals ✅ Network credentials (encrypted) ✅ Favorites ✅ Safe Mode settings

NOT included: ❌ Thumbnail cache ❌ Trash contents

How to View Text and PDF Files

1. Enable Support:

  1. Settings → Media tab → Documents
  2. Enable “Support text files (.txt, .md, .log, .json, .xml)” and “Support PDF documents”
  3. Rescan your folders to find the new files.

2. Filter by Media Type:

  1. Tap the Filter icon (funnel) on the main screen (top right).
  2. Use checkboxes to select media types:
    • Images
    • Videos
    • Audio
    • GIFs
    • Text (New)
    • PDF (New)
  3. Tap “Apply” to see only selected files.

3. Text Viewer:

4. PDF Viewer (New Features):

How to Read E-Books (EPUB)

Requirements:

Features:

Controls:

  1. Open an EPUB file from the file list
  2. Tap screen to toggle command panel
  3. Use bottom controls:
    • Previous / next: navigate chapters
    • - A / + A: decrease/increase font size
    • Search (🔍): search text
    • TOC (📋): open table of contents
  4. Swipe gesture: switch chapters naturally

Note: Works seamlessly with local files and network streams (SMB/SFTP/Cloud). Large books (>50MB) over slow networks might take a few seconds to load initially.

How to Open Network Files in External Apps

Available for: SMB, SFTP, FTP files

Use case: You want to open a document, photo, or video from your network drive in a specialized external app (e.g., MS Office, Adobe Acrobat, VLC Player).

Steps:

  1. Browse to the file on your network resource
  2. Tap the file to open it in the player/viewer
  3. Tap the ⓘ (Info) button in the top toolbar
  4. Tap “Download and Open” button
  5. Wait for download - progress dialog shows percentage
  6. Choose app from the Android app chooser

What happens:

Supported protocols:

Tips:

Example use cases:

How to View Song Lyrics

Requirements:

Steps:

  1. Play an audio file in the full-screen player.
  2. Tap the “Lyrics” button in the top command panel (or command menu).
    • Note: Button is only visible for audio files.
  3. Wait for the search to complete.
  4. Lyrics will be displayed in a scrolling dialog.

Search Logic:

  1. App searches by Artist + Title tag.
  2. If tags are missing, it tries to parse the Filename.

Auto-Translation

Automatically translate text from images, PDF, and text files using a Hybrid OCR System (Google ML Kit + Tesseract).

Key Features:

Setup:

  1. Settings → Media tab → Other
  2. Enable “Enable Translation”
  3. Select Source Language:
    • “Auto” (Recommended): Automatically selects the best engine (Tesseract for Cyrillic, ML Kit for others).
    • Specific Language: Forces a specific model (e.g., “Russian” forces Tesseract).
  4. Select Target Language (e.g., English).

How to use:

  1. Open an Image, PDF, or Text file.
  2. Tap the screen to show the Command Panel.
  3. Tap the “Translate” button (A→文 icon).
  4. First run:
    • If using ML Kit: Confirm downloading the language model (~30MB).
    • If using Tesseract (Cyrillic): Confirm downloading OCR data (~15MB).
  5. The translated text will appear in an overlay.

Note: Tesseract initialization (for Cyrillic) might take 1-2 seconds longer than ML Kit.

Home-Screen Smart Widgets

Available in: all flavors - the widget set ships in every build; each widget follows its own capability, so the voice-recorder widget needs a build with microphone support (not Lite or Photos) while the photo-frame and resource widgets work everywhere

Quick Path

  1. Go to your Android Home Screen, long-press, and select Widgets.
  2. Drag a FastMediaSorter widget (like 1×1 Quick Voice Recorder or Camera OCR) to your screen.
  3. Configure the destination folder and capture settings, then tap Save.
  4. Use the widget to execute tasks in one tap directly from your Home Screen.

Scenario Walkthrough

When It Helps

Avoid This

How to Use the App as Your Home Screen

FastMediaSorter can take over your device’s home screen and show its own desktop instead - your folders, a clock, the weather, your apps, and a taskbar along one edge. If you have ever used a Windows desktop it will feel familiar: things stay where you put them, and a Start button opens the menu. This is called launcher mode, and it ships in the Standard and noLegal builds only.

Turning it on:

  1. Open Settings → General and turn on Make this app the home screen.
  2. Android asks you to confirm. On Android 10 and newer it is a single question - “Allow FastMediaSorter to be your Home app?” - so just allow it. On older versions the classic choice appears the next time you press Home: pick FastMediaSorter and tap Always, or Just once if you only want to try it for now.
  3. Press Home. The desktop appears, already filled with about a dozen useful things - a clock, the weather, your folders, a search box - so day one is not an empty grid.

On a brand-new install there is a shortcut: tick Use as home screen on the first welcome page. That does not interrupt the setup with a system dialog - Android’s confirmation comes up the first time you open Settings → General afterwards.

What lives on the desktop:

Cell type What it does
Resource shortcut Opens a folder you added - and you choose whether it opens in browse, slideshow or play mode
Gadget A clock with seconds (tap for alarms), the weather where you live, what is playing right now, a translator, and two dozen more
App shortcut Starts any installed app; long-press lists that app’s own quick actions
Contact cell Opens a person’s card, calls them, sends an SMS, or opens their messenger conversation
App widget The same widgets the app offers for the Android home screen, placed here instead

The taskbar and the Start menu:

Your apps: the app grid groups apps into sections, each with a small header. Tap a header to collapse a section you rarely open; collapsed headers tuck in next to each other, so the desktop gets shorter instead of leaving gaps. A fresh desktop also gets a GOOGLE section holding the Google apps you already have installed. Long-press any app in the list for Put on desktop and Pin to taskbar.

Rearranging it:

Portrait and landscape are two separate desktops. What you arrange upright is not what you get when you turn the device sideways - each orientation keeps its own layout and its own collapsed sections. The app mentions this once, the first time you rotate a desktop you have arranged. The settings themselves - taskbar position, density, wallpaper - are shared by both.

Fitting more, or less, on the screen: Settings → General → System launcher settings → Desktop → Grid density offers Sparse, Standard, Dense and Very dense - roomier cells, or more shortcuts per screen.

Going back to your old home screen - any of these three:

Your desktop layout is kept either way, so switching the mode back on brings it back exactly as you left it.

One honest warning. A few devices refuse to remember the choice. Some cheap aftermarket car radios and other built-in Android boxes force their factory home screen back every time they start up, whatever you picked. That is the device’s own firmware overriding you, not a fault in the app, and no app can work around it. If yours behaves that way, pick FastMediaSorter as the home app again after a restart - and if it still will not stick, that device simply does not allow it.

How to Use FMS on Android TV Box

FastMediaSorter runs on any Android TV box or set-top box (Xiaomi Mi Box, Nvidia Shield, Amazon Fire TV, generic Android boxes). No touchscreen required - the app is fully operable via TV remote or Bluetooth keyboard.

What you need:

Navigation with a TV remote:

Button Action
D-pad Up/Down/Left/Right Move focus between items
OK / Enter Open item or confirm
Back Go to previous screen
Backspace Navigate one folder up in Browse
Red Delete selected file(s)
Green Copy selected file(s)
Yellow Move selected file(s)
Blue Rename selected file
Channel Up / Channel Down Previous / next file in player

Steps:

  1. Install the app from Google Play or sideload an APK. Standard flavor is recommended.
  2. On the main screen, press OK on the (+) button to add a resource.
  3. Choose Local Folder for USB/SD storage, or Network folder to connect to a NAS via SMB.
  4. After adding the resource, navigate into it with D-pad + OK to browse files.
  5. Open any video, image, or audio file - the player works fully via remote.
  6. To start a slideshow, open an image folder and navigate to the Slideshow button in the command bar.
  7. To add background music to the slideshow, go to Settings → Media → Images, enable Play music during slideshow, and select your music resource.

Tips:

How to Record Your Screen

Available in: Standard, XR/noLegal

Steps:

  1. Start it from the main-screen overflow menu (Screen video recording), the Quick Launch panel, or the edge gesture’s Start screen recording action.
  2. Confirm Android’s prompt to share your screen or just this app - it appears every time you start a recording and can’t be skipped.
  3. A small pill in the corner shows Recording screen, with pause/resume and stop controls. A notification also offers Stop.
  4. Tap Stop when you’re done.

What happens:

Note: The Android confirmation step is a system safeguard for anything that records your screen - it’s not something the app can turn off.

How to Record a Voice Note

Available in: Standard, Legacy, XR / noLegal

Steps:

  1. Start a recording from the Voice recording item in the overflow menu, the Quick Recorder home-screen widget, or the edge gesture’s Start audio recording action.
  2. Speak - a Recording.. indicator (or a floating pill over whatever app is in front) shows it’s running.
  3. Tap Stop and save (or tap the widget/gesture again) to finish.

What happens:

Where to set the save folder: Settings → Operations → Voice recorder.

How to Use the In-App Camera

Available in: Standard, Lite, Photos (photo only), Legacy, XR/noLegal

Steps:

  1. In Browse, open the toolbar or overflow menu and tap Capture with camera (photo) or Record video.
  2. Switch between Photo and Video right on the camera screen if you change your mind.
  3. Set your zoom with a preset chip (0.5x/1x/2x..) or the slider underneath - both stay in sync.
  4. Tap the aspect button to shape the frame - 4:3, 16:9 or Full screen. The viewfinder itself changes, so what you see is what the saved photo will be, and the choice is remembered next time you open the camera (16:9 until you change it).
  5. Tap the shooting-scenario button to pick how the shot is taken - normal, night, portrait, selfie, macro or sport. Macro jumps to the dedicated close-focus lens, selfie flips to the front camera, sport keeps the exposure short so motion freezes. Only the scenarios your device can actually deliver are listed, the active one is named on the button, and changing the lens by hand returns the camera to normal.
  6. Tap the shutter (or the record button) to capture. The result saves straight to the resource - local or network - you were browsing.

Tips:

Where to find camera settings: Settings → Operations → Photography.

How to Find and Delete Duplicate Files

Steps:

  1. Open a folder in Browse, then open the overflow menu (⋮) in the toolbar.
  2. Tap Find Duplicates to review matches yourself, or Find and Delete Duplicates to remove them right away.
  3. For Find Duplicates, the app pre-selects every copy except the oldest one in each group - adjust the selection, then tap Delete Selected and confirm.
  4. Find and Delete Duplicates removes the same pre-selected copies right after the scan, with no confirmation step - use Find Duplicates first if you want to double-check before anything is deleted.

Clean up by size instead:

  1. From the same overflow menu, tap Delete by Size..
  2. Choose Smaller than or Larger than, set a size, and tap Analyze.
  3. Review the count and space it would free, then tap Delete Files to confirm.

Notes:

How to View Your Usage Statistics

Steps:

  1. Go to Settings → General → Statistics collection and turn it on.
  2. Tap Statistics (it appears right below the toggle) to open the dashboard.

What you’ll see:

Share a report:

Note: Everything stays on your device until you choose to send or export it - see the FAQ for the privacy details.

How to Use an SD Card or Connected Drive

A memory card or a USB drive the phone has mounted holds resources exactly like built-in storage.

Steps:

  1. Open Add resource and start adding a local folder. The Removable media section appears only while something is connected, and lists every volume with its name and free space.
  2. Tap the volume. If the app cannot reach it by path, it explains why and opens the system folder chooser - pick the same volume there and grant access to the folder you want.
  3. The resource joins the list with a removable-medium icon, so a card resource is recognisable at a glance.

Moving and copying: whole folders travel to a card and back with their full subfolder structure, the same way they do between the device and a network resource.

Not enough room: a copy or move that does not fit is refused before it starts, and the message names the medium and how much space is missing - free space there or pick another destination.

When the medium is ejected: its resources are marked unavailable rather than removed. Connect the card again and they work without being set up a second time.

On Android 6: the system does not report mounted volumes to apps, so the removable section stays empty on those devices.

How to Choose Where Captures and Downloads Are Saved

Photos from the in-app camera, screenshots, snapshots and auto-downloaded files each write to a folder you pick, and that folder does not have to be one of your resources.

Steps:

  1. Open the setting for what you are saving - capture, screenshot, snapshot or auto-download.
  2. Choose the destination folder. The system folder browser opens, so you can point at any local folder, including one you have never added to the app.
  3. That folder becomes the write destination for that setting only. It stays out of your general resource list, so picking a scratch folder for screenshots does not clutter the main screen.

Tips:

Capture file names

New captures use the prefix_yyMMdd_HHmmss pattern. The stable prefixes are photo, screenshot, audio, video, screen_video, and video_frame, so the filename identifies its source. If a name already exists in the destination folder, the app adds the ` (2)` suffix before the extension. A filename entered manually in the camera remains an override and is not changed.

How to Receive Files Shared from Another App

Any app’s share sheet can send files to FastMediaSorter, which then copies them where you want.

Steps:

  1. In the other app, share the file or files and pick FastMediaSorter.
  2. Choose the destination folder in the receive screen.
  3. Start the copy.

You do not have to wait for it. The copy keeps running after the receive screen closes, with a notification showing progress while it works and a result notification when it finishes. Leave the app, lock the device, carry on - the transfer is not tied to that screen staying open.

Available in the Standard, Lite, Photos and Legacy builds.

How to Use the Built-In Programs

Available in: all flavors - the programs menu and the panel ship in every build, but each program follows its own capability: Network Monitor needs Standard or noLegal, the Wear companion needs Standard or noLegal, and the mini-game is absent from XR and noLegal. The calculator, the front flashlight and System information are in every build.

Besides browsing and playing files, the app carries a set of small built-in programs - a calculator, a screen lamp, a network monitor, a voice recorder and more. They are off by default: each one is switched on by its own setting, and most of the dedicated switches sit together in Settings → Operations.

Quick Path

  1. Go to Settings → Operations and turn on what you want - for example Calculator, Front flashlight, Network Monitor, Mini-game or System information.
  2. Open the main window dropdown menu. The programs you enabled are listed there.
  3. Tap one to run it.

Where a program shows up

A program can be offered on up to four surfaces, and every surface takes its contents and its order from the same single list, so they never drift apart:

What is in the set

In the order they appear:

The panel and the launcher additionally carry direct camera shortcuts - take a photo and send it on, take a photo and edit it, take a photo and translate it, start a video recording, and open the camera folder.

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