Google is launching a new redesigned Google Drive on April 7. They announced this change in July when you had the option at that time to switch over to the new design. Here's a recap of what's changing:
Google Drive is the same Google Drive you already know, just faster and with a brand-new look. There are a lot of changes to absorb. Most of these changes are design improvements, but Google has also added some new functions.
Here's what to expect on April 7 (if you haven't already switched over to using the new experience):
1) New Google Drive Homepage
The most noticeable change to Drive is on the homepage, where Google has incorporated their new material design along with speed improvements. You can customize your homepage by changing the view, sort and details options.
2) The 'New' Button
The 'Create' button has been replaced with a new 'New' button. You can take all of the same actions with the 'New' button that you did with 'Create' like creating new files / folders, uploading files / folders and installing Drive apps.
3) New Method of Offline Sync
To enable offline access, go to your Drive Settings and select the Offline radio button. Your files will be available offline immediately and new files and folders will automatically sync in the background as they are created.
4) New Method to Add Files to your Drive
The option to add a file to your Drive has been moved from the top of the page to the actual file. To add a file to your Drive, move your cursor over the right side of the file in 'Incoming' and click on the Drive folder icon that appears.
5) New 'Get Link' Icon
Now you can easily access the Link to Share by selecting the file and clicking on the 'Get link' icon located at the top right. From here you not only have the ability to copy the link to share to send to other users but you can access the file’s sharing settings to share with other and change permissions.
6) Microsoft Office Compatibility Mode by Double-Clicking
The new Office Compatibility Mode to edit Microsoft Office files in Drive has become more integrated. Now you can use Office Compatibility Mode by double-clicking on the Office file in Drive and it will open in a compatible program for editing.
Learn more about these changes by watching a video by Google Gooru:
Posted by: Lisa Bono
Video by: Google Gooru
