google: Android tablets are getting the new "Material You Widget" from Google Drive. Check the details here

Android tablets are back in demand and Google is sparing no effort to make the most of them. Last week, the tech giant announced it was optimizing and updating widgets for tablets, and now Google has rolled out a new Google Drive design for Material You.

Google announced Material You at its annual I/O event last year. The new design system aims to integrate and adapt to users’ needs and preferences based on how they interact with their devices. In keeping with the Material You philosophy, Google Drive’s new circular design brings quick-launch shortcuts for new Docs, Slides, Sheets, and more.

The default Google Drive shortcut view is a 3×2 rectangular layout. However, stretching the widget across the screen makes it circular, giving the shortcut a new appeal. The new design is an addition to the existing X design in the system.

Google will remove inactive Gmail, Drive and Photos for personal accounts from 2021

New policies in place

According to an IANS report, Google is introducing new policies for consumer accounts, starting June 1 next year, and if you’ve been inactive in Gmail, Drive, or Photos for two years, the company may remove the content of the product in which you are inactive.

Who will all be impacted

The new rules apply to personal accounts that are inactive or over their storage limit on Gmail, Drive (including Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms, and Jamboard files) and/or Photos — to better s align with common practices across the industry, the company announced Wednesday.

Multiple notices

“If you go over your storage limit for two years, Google may delete your content on Gmail, Drive, and Photos,” the company said. The company said it will notify users several times before attempting to remove any content. “The easiest way to keep your account active is to periodically visit Gmail, Drive, or Photos on web or mobile, while logged in and connected to the internet,” he added.

Notify a contact

Inactive Account Manager can help users manage specific content and notify a trusted contact if you stop using your Google Account for a certain period (between 3 and 18 months).

Updating your packages

“If you need more than your free 15GB of storage, you can upgrade to a larger storage plan with Google One. You can choose from plans starting at 100GB of space that also include additional features for members, such as access to Google experts, shared family plans and more,” the company said.

The new design and other nifty features will be rolled into version 2.22.357.1 of Google Drive for tablets. Unfortunately, the new design will not come to Android smartphones. Recently, Google also rolled out the updated Keep widget for tablets, although the dual pane hasn’t made it to all devices yet.

According to reports, Google is set to make some much-needed updates to its suite of business tools. These updates include multi-instance support for office tools, which will allow users to open two windows of Docs, Slides, and Sheets side-by-side and use both with full functionality.

With the rise of remote work and OTT for entertainment, especially post-pandemic, the tablet market has seen a surge. While the high-end segment is dominated by iPads and Surface Pros, the tablet market is largely owned by Android. Adding new features and making the UI/UX intuitive and user-friendly is essential for Google to catch up with its main competitor, Apple.

FAQs

• What is the new version of Google Drive?

The new updates will arrive with Google Drive version 2.22.357.1.

• What are you material?

Launched last year, Material You is a new design system that Google has adopted to improve UI/UX across platforms by integrating and adapting to user needs and preferences.

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