Soon after testing out a UI tweak that would make searching for files easier, Files by Google is now trying out something entirely new. Google’s flagship file management app is looking to shed its reliance on external apps for viewing the simplest of files.
For those unaware, if you tap on a basic text file from within Files by Google, the app only highlights the file’s full name, download location, and the last time it was modified. To be able to read or interact with the text file, users are forced to go into the file’s overflow menu and ‘Open with’ a dedicated reader like Google Docs.
That dependency could soon be a thing of the past, as Google has been spotted working on a built-in text file reader for the Files by Google app.
The development was spotted by the folks over at Android Authority in the latest 1.8436.793259964.0-release of the Files by Google app. Although the functionality isn’t live just yet, manually enabling it provides an early glimpse into its basic but welcome capabilities.
What to expect
And what not to expect
By basic, I mean that the native reader is nothing more than a bare-bones text file reader. It doesn’t offer any smart features, but well, it does let you read a text file without having to open it in an external app, which in itself should be considered a win.
The basic functionality also extends to selecting text, copying it to the clipboard, and sharing it with others, but don’t expect advanced text search and editing features. Maybe those will get added down the line, but for now, the text file viewer is as bare-bones as it gets.
When exactly the integration lands remains to be seen.
