Google Drivehas a lot of perks, ranging fromits collaborating toolsto cross-platform availability, but its straightforward UI is what makes it a popular choice among users. Its home page on the web already looks well laid out with several smart tools that help make your files more accessible. But Google wants to make Drive’s home page even more helpful with additional personalization options and a Material Design 3 treatment.
How to use Google Drive: A guide to making your storage helpful
Make the most out of Google Drive
In the list view under the My Drive section, you currently see a row of suggested files that Drives you might need, which is followed by a list of all your files and folders arranged alphabetically. There is also a grid view with another row of folders sorted by their name, but that isn’t quite helpful unless you’re finding something specifically by its name.
Google ischanging this default layout with a new Home tab(on the left menu) that has a list of files and folders arranged based on your personalized preferences. So, the stuff you access frequently or might need at the moment would be shown at the top of the list. Drive learns your usage from a variety of patterns, including your interaction with your files, and even relies on upcoming Calendar events that have files attached, to serve you more personalized results. You can use the two new Files and Folders chips to switch between your suggested items to quickly find the kind of file you’re looking for. Google Drive will give you the option to change the default landing page from this new Home tab to the good old My Drive section.
The animation that Google shared (above) also shows the Location filter along with the existing ones — Type, People, and Modified. Location lets you see files from a particular section of your Google Drive, say just the shared folder. While the Location filter has been teased a few times in the past, it hasn’t been available widely. Hopefully, it will make it to everyone along with the latest facelift.
These design changes are coming to all Google Drive users, be it personal or Workspace account holders. While the rollout has already begun, Google notes that it will be completed not before July 25, 2025. If you don’t see these changes immediately, your best bet is to wait for them. Google further specified that this layout will be enabled by default, so you don’t need to do anything manually.
How to use Google Drive search filters on Android and iOS
Find those files in a flash
Google has lately been giving Drive a visual makeover across platforms. TheGoogle Drive app on Android got a similar list view in the Suggested tab, with file details included right underneath it. Finding a file is much faster this way because you see more stuff on the screen and need to scroll less as a result. Meanwhile,the new Activity tablets you go through your file activities and manage access requests from a single page, which is helpful for a lot of professionals. Eventhe document scanner integrated into Drive got a faceliftthat meets the new Material Design guidelines.
