Grid, Thumbnails, And Folder View Memory

Folder content can be viewed as the established information-dense List or as an adaptive three-column Grid. Both presentations consume the same file state, selection model, Search results, Sort preference, and operations.

DCIM, Pictures, and every local descendant of those standard folders default to Grid. Documents, Downloads, Movies, and all other locations default to List.

The dedicated View control shows the effective mode and offers List or Grid. A choice that differs from the location default is stored for that exact folder. Use default (List) or Use default (Grid) removes the override. Overrides follow renamed or moved folders and are capped at 200 entries.

Sort remains global. A follow-up polish derives visible groups from that active Sort in both List and Grid; grouping is not an independent preference. Density and separate thumbnail-policy controls remain outside this delivery.

Image files use real thumbnails in List and Grid when Android can decode their local file:// or provider-backed content:// URI. Thumbnails are decoded at a bounded target size, loaded off the main thread, and held only in a memory cache. treeger does not create a hidden on-disk thumbnail index.

Folders use a restrained low-chroma folder tile. Other files use a short extension tile, falling back to the generic file glyph when no extension exists. Video frames, PDF pages, archive covers, density choices, and grouping are deferred.

Tap opens a folder or file. Long press enters the shared multi-selection model. Grid preserves Select all, Share, Rename, Copy, Move, Delete, operation-shelf collection, and single-item Properties. Search retains the current folder’s view mode, including recursive result location labels, while Sort reorders the same underlying result set and supplies its section headings. See Sort-Derived Grouping And Calmer Metadata for the grouping and compact-metadata rules.

Device checks cover Pictures and nested-folder defaults, non-media List defaults, override persistence, Use default, real image thumbnails, fallback tiles, selection/actions, Search coexistence, toolbar fit, and light/dark contrast.