Summary Google is working on a Material 3 Expressive redesign for its Files by Google app.
The redesign includes changes to the landing page (relocated FABs), image viewer (combined FABs), a new curvy progress bar, and a smaller sidebar.
These Files app changes are still a work in progress, so the final avatar of the Files app may look different.
What can we expect in a redesigned Files app?
Image source: Android Authority Another major change Google is working on in the Files app is a curvy design for the progress bar.
An overview.
Google’s Files by Google app is undergoing a Material 3 Expressive makeover.
A new, curved progress bar, a smaller sidebar, repositioned FABs on the landing page, and a combined FAB on the image viewer are all part of the redesign.
The final Files app avatar may differ from the current version because these changes are still being worked on.
Although Android 16 is a significant update with “expressive” UI elements, these features won’t be immediately accessible following the stable release next month. Google will be able to redesign the OS and all of its apps to improve design consistency when those expressive interfaces become available later in the year with a Pixel Feature Drop.
For at least some of its well-known apps, such as the Files app, the Mountain View tech behemoth intends to redesign them using Material 3 Expressive. There is evidence that Google is working to update the Calendar app with the new Material design. According to Android Authority’s APK analysis of the Google Files v1.7528 beta, Material 3 Expressive for its file management application is currently being developed.
What can we anticipate from the Files app redesign?
After activating codes for Material 3 Expressive components, the Android Authority team noticed some significant changes to the progress bar, sidebar, image viewer, and landing page of the app.
Quick Share and File Scanner FABs are now visible together in a pill-shaped UI element in the center of the Files app’s updated landing page, rather than in the lower right corner. We can’t completely rule out the possibility that you accidentally tapped the incorrect option because they now appear side by side, even though this looks cleaner and more minimalist. The Files app’s image viewer also combines Edit and Circle to Search FABs into a single pill-shaped user interface.
Source of image: Android Authority.
The progress bar’s curved design is another significant update Google is working on for the Files app. When you install an APK file or compress something into a ZIP file, the curved progress bar shows up in the current implementation. Additionally, the updated progress bar is positioned in the center, in contrast to the current one.
The Sidebar, which now takes up less screen real estate due to its smaller size, is the least exciting change among all those found in the APK teardown. We also observe that the Sidebar’s content is now separated by more space. Furthermore, the “Terms of Service” and “Privacy Policy” options now sit on top of one another at the bottom.
