Files by Google app is getting a redesigned carousel view

Files by Google is getting a UI tweak that also impacts how the carousel view works. Now, the carousel shows individual files instead of folders with recent activity. With this change, the company wants to make your latest downloaded or modified files easier to find.

A while ago, Google implemented a carousel view at the top of the Files app UI. There, the file explorer showed the folders with the most recent files that you interacted with. That is, if you had downloaded, renamed, or deleted a file, its particular folder would appear first in the carousel.

There’s a new carousel view in the Files by Google app

However, it seems that Google has rethought things and has given a twist to how the carousel works. Now, instead of showing the folders with files that you have interacted with, it will directly show those individual files. This way, after entering the app, you’ll have them just a tap away if you need them, without having to explore any folders or use the search box.

The new Google Files carousel view shows a thumbnail in “Story” format, taking inspiration from social media apps. Each file shows its name and extension, although long file names will only show part of it. The file preview in the carousel also shows the folder where the file in question is located. There’s also a three-dot menu that offers the following options: Share, Move to Trash, and Add to Starred.

The tweak was spotted by 9to5Google in the latest Files by Google beta update (v1.4374.x). However, it’s possible that Google is rolling out the new design to the stable app in phases. I could verify that the Files by Google stable app (v1.4237.x) already has the new UI on my device, as shown below. So, possibly all users will get the new UI in the next few days.