Google Translate gets new iOS widget as Drive adds XL iPad variants

Abner Li | Mar 10 2022 - 11:03 am PT

Following Gmail at the start of this year, Google Drive is the latest iOS app to get new work-focused widgets, while there are also updates for Translate and Chat on iOS in the coming weeks.

The new widgets for Google Drive are aimed at the iPad. It starts with a new XL widget that will show eight recent files that are contextually relevant. The current widget only shows two, while shortcuts next to the Search bar provide access to Priority files, Shared documents, Shared drives, and fast upload.

Drive for iOS is also getting a one-column version that drops the shortcuts and just shows four files. This update to Google Drive is “rolling out next week.”

Google Translate’s new widget is live today with shortcuts that let you quickly launch the camera for visual translations, enter Conversation mode, or enable live Transcribe. The search field opens the keyboard for immediate text entry, while previously translated text can be easily copied.

Lastly, message notifications for Gmail and Google Chat will show the sender’s profile photo going forward for improved glanceability. This new version will be available later this month along with:

This update will also give you more control over which Chat and Gmail chat notifications break through Focus on your iPhone or iPad. This can be handy if you’re trying to cut down on screen time but don’t want to miss an important message.
Simply choose the contacts you want notifications from when Focus is on, and Gmail or Chat will do the rest — notifying you about those specific chat messages, even when other notifications are silenced.