Files by Google is also getting a fresh coat of Material 3 Expressive (APK teardown)
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR Google is testing Material 3 Expressive components in a beta version of its Files app.
Changes include centrally placed, redesigned floating buttons, larger thumbnails, and a new progress bar design.
These design features are not yet live and may change before public release in the stable branch of the app.
Material 3 Expressive is going to be the flavor of the season, and we'll see plenty of Google and third-party apps update to incorporate Android's new UX design language. The broader rollout of Material 3 Expressive will happen later in the year, but the design is expected to debut with Android 16 QPR1 beta. Ahead of these releases, several Google apps have started adopting Material 3 Expressive components, and the Files by Google app is the latest one to jump on the bandwagon.
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An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
Files by Google v1.7528 beta includes code for Material 3 Expressive components, which we managed to activate ahead of its release.
Starting with the app's landing page, we see that the Quick Share and File Scanner FABs, which were previously right-aligned at the bottom, now sit side-by-side in the middle. The button design has also changed, giving it a clean and uniform look. Thumbnails for Recents are now larger, though, which is a tad bit unsightly.
Current UI
Upcoming UI
The same treatment is given to the Edit and Circle to Search FABs in the image viewer within the app:
Current UI
Upcoming UI
We've also spotted some padding and sizing changes in the sidebar, but it's not immediately clear whether these are intentional.
Current UI
Upcoming UI
Lastly, Files by Google displays a progress bar whenever an APK file is being installed or files are compressed into a ZIP file. In the current UI, this progress bar is shown at the bottom, while the upcoming UI will restore its position to the center of the screen and give it a wavy progress bar.
All of these changes aren't currently live in the app. Google is still working on them, so they may or may not make it to the final release in this avatar. We'll keep you updated when we learn more.
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