ES File Explorer for Android turns into adware

The technique of acquiring a popular app just to push ads (or malware) into thousands or millions of users is nothing new, and it sadly got to ES File Explorer as well, turning a recommended app into one you should avoid at all costs.

ES File Explorer is one of those apps we've loved ever since we found it (back in 2011) and it got better and better over the years, growing to be one of the best looking, full-featured, file explorer apps of all times - and that shows, with over 100 million downloads and 2 million reviews in Google's Play Store.

Sadly, it has recently been bought by a company that doesn't seem to care about the hard conquered reputation over the years, and is adamant in ruining it in a very short time frame. ES File Explorer had already began delving into some not-so-file-explorer-like features (app scanning and such), but it now drops to new low levels with a so-called "Charge accelerator" mode, which is just a not so subtle way to place ads on screen while your phone is charging (while not actually doing any of the things it claims.)

We could easily understand a free ES File Explorer to get ads, but trying to place ads by using fraudulent claims about faster recharging shows the sort of tactics the team behind ES Explorer is willing to take just to make a buck out of us. So, with much regret, ES File Explorer goes from one of my most loved apps into one everyone should avoid at all costs. Even if you were willing to live side by side with this new "charging ad mode", who's to say what the next update might include?

Sad to see its good reputation go to wast after so many years... :(