Aug 11

How to Create a Shortcut to a File on Android Home Screen

Introduction

The Android mobile operating system has gotten much better over time at making it easy for users to download, load and store personal documents on their mobile device. However, if you need to access a particular file regularly, tapping through various layers to get to it can be a pain. Thankfully, Android makes it easy to create a shortcut directly on the home screen to files you access regularly. Examples of all instructions in the steps can be seen in both the YouTube video above and the image collection located beneath the steps.

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Steps to Create a Shortcut to a File on Android Home Screen

  1. Navigate to the location on your Android device where the file is located that you want to create a shortcut to on your device's home screen. In this example, because the file I want to create a shortcut to is in the Downloads folder, I'll open My Files and navigate to the Downloads folder.

  2. Perform a long press against the file you want to create a shortcut to to mark it as selected, and then tap the "Options" icon to open a menu.

  3. Tap "Add Shortcut" in the menu. The Add Shortcut To menu is displayed.

  4. Tap "Home Screen" in this menu. The Add to Home Screen menu is displayed.

  5. Hold your finger against the icon in the menu and continue holding your finger against the icon. You'll be routed back to the home screen. Place the shortcut icon that points to your file where you want to locate it on your Android home screen, and then remove your finger from the screen. You can tap that shortcut anytime going forward to open your file.

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