Google has started rolling out the new features for their Workspace apps like Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Keep. The update is part of the company’s move to maximize the utilization of large screens on Android devices.
“Earlier this year, Android introduced 12L, a software update to make devices with bigger screens, like tablets, easier to use. At I/O, we shared plans to update more than 20 Google apps on tablets to take full advantage of the extra space on those bigger screens,” Scott Blanksteen, Senior Director for Product Management on Android, wrote in a statement.
The new Workspace features center around the ability to multitask on your device.
In the new update, you can easily drag and drop texts and images from two different apps while using split-screen on your device. This means that you can transfer your selected content from one existing document like Word to another document or even a spreadsheet cell. Additionally, the feature will allow you to upload to Drive by dragging the files or inserting images on Keep from the image carousel.
The new update also makes using Google Drive on large screens easier. You can now open two drive windows side by side, selecting the three-dot menu on any Drive file and tapping on the “Open New Window” option. This will allow you to get the necessary information without losing your current view or using the back button multiple times.
Lastly, users can now use the familiar keyboard shortcuts from their laptops to their tablets and large mobile screens. If you are using the attached keyboards, you can use keyboard shortcuts like select, copy, paste, undo, and redo to navigate through Drive, Docs, and Slides. This allows users to use their devices as an alternative to laptops and PCs.
In March 2022, Google introduced a new Android 12 update called 12L to make using tablets and foldables much easier. The new feature added a new design layout for easy viewing and a taskbar that can launch split screen mode and other multitasking features.
Users can expect the new updates to roll out over the next few weeks. It will be available on Android’s large screens with Google Workspace and personal Google Accounts.
Source: https://blog.google/products/android/googleworkspaceapps-largerscreens/, https://blog.google/products/android/12l-larger-screens/