Google Drive for smartphone gets a makeover and a new Home function

Google has given the smartphone version of Google Drive a makeover. The design is very similar to that of the Gmail app and the cloud service also received a few new functions. The iOS version is now being rolled out; Android users will receive the update from March 18.

The aesthetic tweaks would make Google Drive easier to use on smaller screens. For example, a navigation bar will now appear at the bottom of the screen that provides faster access to the favorite files, the shared files and the new Home function.

Under that button are all files that Google Drive thinks are relevant to the user at that moment. The cloud service is based on various factors. Think of the last edit date, files that are shared more than average and documents that are used at specific times of the day.

Any Team Drives will also appear prominently on the screen, next to My Drive. If the user has enabled Google Drive to back up their PC or Mac, the interface will display a Computers tab next to it. Another novelty is that the action menu automatically places the most used actions at the top from now on.

According to Engadget, the new version of Google Drive will be rolled out first to iOS users around this time. For the Android version, it is still a matter of patience until March 18.