Google Drive for desktop redesign adds centralized interface

Introduced in 2021, “Google Drive for desktop” is getting a visual redesign that centralizes controls and management in one window.

Google Drive for desktop is being updated with a centralized UI that shows “sync activity, notifications, shared files and more.” It looks a bit like drive.google.com, with a “Search in Drive” field and pause icon joining the settings gear icon at the top.

A FAB (floating action button) lets you “Open Drive folder,” while the navigation drawer has three items. Home offers cards noting recent uploads and “Needs my attention.” There are also shortcuts to “View files shared with you” and other “Quick links,” like adding more folders to sync.

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There’s also Sync activity and Notification in the side panel. With this redesign, Google wants to give desktop users a “centralized area to easily manage all of their Drive files in one place.” Previously, there was a floating interface with feeds for “Activity” and “Notifications,” and the main window was for managing folders.

This update to the Mac and Windows app for “all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.” Google Photos integration is also available.

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In other Workspace updates this week, Google Calendar for Android now lets you “share a calendar with individuals, a domain or the entire public.” Go to Settings and select a calendar for the new “Shared with” section. This was previously only available online.

Gmail on the web now offers the same Gemini summary cards available on Android and iOS. They appear “at the top of emails for messages where a summary is helpful,” like longer threads with multiple replies.

Available to Google Workspace Business Starter, Standard and Plus; Enterprise Starter, Standard and Plus; customers with the Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-on