Phones just don't make a good analog to computers with a robust file system browser. My experience is if you're downloading something on a phone, it's never going be used again. It will sit there until a factory reset.
How many restaurant menus have I downloaded read once and never cleared off? I don't know. I also don't care. If I did care, I would want to use "Save As..." and save to google drive.
I think you are missing a step in your conclusion there. The reason users aren't as robust in organizing where their files come is because file browsing on phones isn't as robust.
On the android side the file browser that comes with the phone (if any) is bare bones. This combined with various sandboxing can make it pretty annoying to know exactly where your files end up.
Then there is the fact that the small UI on phones simply isn't all that great for browsing a large list of files.
So, putting it squarely on users isn't correct imho.
Total Commander is great but there are tons of real file explorers for any user "robust" enough. I think what user above is pointing out what we have all noticed, people browsing the web from a phone are usually younger, less intelligent and unrefined enough to be better off not given access to the file system .
You are only further affirming the point I am making. You need a third party app in order to be able to browse files well enough on Android devices. And even then you do not get the same experience as you would get on a desktop OS. Simply because the same amount of information (file name, icons, creation date, change date, file size) which does fit fine on desktop does not fit as well on a phone screen without creating huge clutter.
Of course, younger users never really having used a file system doesn't work either. But certainly calling them "less intelligent and unrefined" is a ridiculous hot take if I ever saw one.
And you affirm my point, that its incredibly easy for anyone to take 15 seconds to install a file browser but most won't because they are too daft. A good file explorer does does have all the bells and whistles on any OS (except iOS) not sure what straw man you are attacking there).
The people who don't bother to do so probably are better off without it anyway, so no harm no foul and everyone is better off.
How many restaurant menus have I downloaded read once and never cleared off? I don't know. I also don't care. If I did care, I would want to use "Save As..." and save to google drive.