Google Drive starts launching tablet redesign with navigation rail

Google is introducing a large-screen redesign of Google Drive with a navigation rail to assist Android tablet users in completing their work.

As declared on the authority Work area Updates blog, those with work area accounts selected for “Quick Delivery” ought to before long see another search for Google Drive on Android tablets. The most notable change is the replacement of the bottom navigation bar with a side-mounted navigation rail.

Tablet redesign with navigation rail

The rail now includes the “plus” FAB for creating new files and folders in addition to the usual tabs (Home, Starred, Shared, and Files) and a button to expand or collapse the drawer. As part of the change, buttons for help, settings, and your profile have been added to the top-right corner and the top search bar no longer occupies the entire screen. The tabs for “Suggested” files and “Notifications” now take up much less space below that search bar.

In general, it appears that this new Google Drive design is well-suited to taking advantage of the additional screen space provided by an Android tablet. Google’s side-by-side example demonstrates that more distinct files and controls can be seen on the screen while remaining relatively uncluttered.

Tablet navigation rail

This tablet-ready version of Google Drive should be available to more Android users beginning on April 3 for those who are not enrolled in Rapid Release.

The upgrade shows up behind Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides web applications all getting another layer of paint via Material You. Google has been putting a lot of design effort into its man Workspace apps, which we hope will continue, thanks to the recent series of Material You upgrades and a greater emphasis on larger screens.

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