Files by Google may not be among the most well-known Google apps that come pre-installed on most Android devices, nor does it boast a place in the Play Store’s 10 billion downloads club. Nonetheless, it has achieved over five billion downloads earlier this year, which speaks to its solid performance. With this increasing user base, Google is set to introduce significant upgrades to the app.
Recently, the company has been working on redesigning its file management app to bring its aesthetics in line with Android 16’s Material 3 Expressive guidelines. Although these design changes have yet to be implemented for all users, Google is also focusing on enhancing the app’s search capabilities. An APK teardown of the beta version, Files by Google v1.8122, has revealed some forthcoming improvements.
One key enhancement is the anticipated simplification of the search filtering process. Currently, users must tap the “Category” option on the main screen to filter results by file type. Google aims to simplify this by integrating file categories directly onto the main screen, allowing users to swipe left or right depending on their screen size.
This change, while introducing some visual clutter, is expected to make filtering faster and more intuitive. Additionally, the APK teardown suggests new features like a filter option to view files from either internal or external storage. There is also an upcoming “Other” category which will help users locate files that do not fall under the standard categories of Images, Videos, Audio, or Documents, such as APKs.
While it’s unclear when these new features will be available, they promise to enhance the user experience significantly. If you haven’t tried Files by Google yet, now might be the perfect time to explore what it has to offer.
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