Google Drive, Docs, and other Workspace apps getting optimized for Android tablets

Abner Li | Jul 25 2022 - 9:00 am PT

At I/O 2022, Google announced that over 20 first-party apps would be optimized for tablets. We’ve already seen a handful of launches since May, and Google Drive, Docs/Sheets/Slides, and Keep are now set to receive updates that improve multitasking on Android tablets.

The first tablet optimization is drag-and-drop “when you have two screens open on your large-screen device.” Google gave three examples, with the Keep capability — which also works on phones — available today:

You can now easily drag text or images from apps, such as Chrome or Sheets, and drop that content right into an existing document or spreadsheet cell.
In Google Drive, quickly upload files by dragging and dropping them into the app. You can also add links to Drive files by dragging the file into Keep.
And in Keep, you can effortlessly insert images saved in your Keep notes into other apps by dragging them out from the image carousel.

Meanwhile, Google Drive will support multiple windows — just like Chrome — and the ability to open them side-by-side:

Simply select the three-dot menu on any Drive file and tap on the “Open in new window” option. This helps you get the information you need without losing your current view or needing to hit the back button multiple times.

Google Docs, Slides, and Drive is also getting support for “familiar” keyboard shortcuts when such an accessory is attached to your tablet. This includes select, cut, copy, paste, undo and redo. In terms of availability:

These updates will roll out to Android’s large screens with Google Workspace and personal Google Accounts over the next few weeks. And stay tuned for more updates as we continue to add new features for Google apps on Android’s larger screens.