Files by Google is on a roll. Soon after the tech giant began testing out an easier search experience for the file management app, paired with a new native text reader in the works, the app is now starting to show signs of a vibrant new design.
Users don’t spend all day on the file management app, but for the little time they do, Google wants users to experience a polished and expressive interface.
For what it’s worth, the app’s Android 16-connected Material 3 Expressive redesign was first spotted all the way back in May. Roughly three months later, some of those changes are starting to appear for users running stable.
Spotted by readers and then highlighted by the folks over at Android Authority in Files by Google’s latest version 1.8436.793259964, the fresh look includes everything from bigger preview thumbnails for recent files and a new typeface to a squiggly progress bar and a redesigned/relocated floating action button (FAB).
Expect a wider release in the comung days
For what it’s worth, installing the latest build did not surface the new UI for me, suggesting that rollout is gradual and server-side. Once eventually available, users widely will see the app’s home screen with a new conjoined Quick Share and File Scanner FAB that sits in the center instead of being placed to the side. In a similar vein, the app’s image viewer currently highlights the Circle to Search and Edit FABs as distinct buttons to the side. These, too, will be conjoined and placed in the bottom center of the screen.
Elsewhere, the progress bar that appears when you initiate an APK installation from within the Files by Google app will appear as a fun squiggly animation, as seen in the last screenshot above. This isn’t necessarily a big change, but it does add to the app’s overall expressive appeal.
The changes are rolling out now and should be widely visible over the coming week.
