A system is provided for mobile device file management. A client application determines whether a requested file associated with a file identifier is stored in a file system in a mobile device. If the file is not stored in the file system, the client application retrieves the file via over-the-air communication, stores the file with storage information in the file system, and provides the file for presentation on a user interface on the mobile device. If a background application determines that the client application is inactive and that a current time and the storage information indicate to refresh the provided file, the background application retrieves at least apart of a refreshed file via over-the-air communication. If the background application determines that the provided file is not the same version as the refreshed file, the background application stores the refreshed file with refreshed storage information in the file system.