Google Drive Android Gets New Video Player & Upload Features

Google Drive has released two updates to the Android app that update the video player and file uploading functionality. This means that the video player in Google Drive for Android now has more user-friendly playback controls. Additionally, file renaming, folder selection, and more transparent progress tracking have been added to the mobile upload process.

Google’s primary storage app with the update now making it simpler to watch videos and submit files is the main goal of the most recent Google Drive for Android improvements.

The Playback controls are even now easier to view and use, thanks to the updated design, which places them beneath the video instead of overlaid. It also offers full-screen mode, playback speed, and fast access to captions.

When uploading files, the Google Drive app on iOS and Android now provides “more fine grained controls and proactive status updates.” You can rename the file, modify the folder location, and change the account if you’re signed in to several accounts after choosing what you want to upload on the “initial upload screen.”

This player’s Android version was first seen to us in March, when code from a Drive app deconstruction suggested a redesign. The revised layout wasn’t yet available to users, but it could be manually enabled at the time.

The bottom sheet/progress shows that “tells you how many items are uploading and how long it will take” is then docked above the bottom bar and pushes up the floating action buttons, or FABs. In addition to the standard system notification, that exists. 

The Uploads page, accessible through the navigation drawer as well, can be accessed by tapping the up chevron. “All pending or recently completed uploads” are displayed to you.

Additionally, Google Drive’s mobile upload experience is being updated. A new progress indicator makes it easier to see how much is left, and you can now choose the destination folder and rename files as soon as you hit upload. You can also monitor recently finished and pending uploads using the Upload tab.

Additionally, the “smoother, more modern video player” that was first made available online last year is now available in Google Drive for Android. The timeline scrubber is located at the bottom, along with sizable Material 3 buttons for play/pause and rewind/skip. Controls for captions, looping, fullscreen, and playback speed (0.2-2x) are located above that.

“All Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts can access these updates.”

Also both modifications are now completely available to all Google personal accounts and Workspace users.