Google Drive rolling out new homepage on Android & iOS with double FABs

Abner Li | Nov 10 2023 - 2:46 pm PT

Google is redesigning Drive’s homepage on Android and iOS with a more compact UI to “help you more easily find the right file much faster.”

Today, Google Workspace users have “Priority” as the first tab in the bottom bar. It will soon just be called “Home,” which is already the case for personal accounts. (Google might also be replacing “Workspaces” with “Starred” for all users.)

The “Suggested” top tab will stop using cards that include a file preview. This thumbnail has always been too small to really make out. Instead, Google Drive is switching to a list view to show a lot more of the files that “have been recently opened, shared, or edited.” Recent activity, like comments and replies, are noted underneath the file name.

The “Notifications” tab is being replaced by an “Activity” feed, which recently launched for the web. Cards are used to surface “items that need your attention, such as pending access requests, recent comments, and awaiting approvals.”

Screenshots today show a new circular camera FAB (floating action button) above the existing one for “New,” which is no longer a square. This is a peculiar design choice that could be Google’s acknowledgment of how popular the mobile scanning feature is. Meanwhile:

If you do not want to use the home tab, the app will simply open up on whatever tab you last used, such as Shared or Files.

Many users presumably just use the Files view to match My Drive online. The new homepage is rolling out now to Google Drive for Android and iOS over the coming weeks. It is “available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts.”