Drive gets significant upgrades to playback and search features

Google Drive has recently received a series of updates aimed at enhancing user experience. These updates include significant improvements to the search functionality and playback features within the app.

In terms of search, Google Drive now offers a more streamlined search experience with the introduction of filter categories directly below the search bar. These categories include filters for File Type, Owners, and Last Modified, making it easier for users to access and apply query filters. Additionally, relevant query filters will now be displayed as users type their search query, allowing for quicker selection and a more efficient search process. Users can also further refine their search results after reaching the search results page.

While these search enhancements are currently only available for iOS devices, Android users can expect to receive them soon as well. These changes are already accessible to Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.

In addition to search improvements, Google Drive is introducing new playback features that allow for Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) video transcodes for all uploaded videos. This means that users will experience playback at varying resolutions based on the quality of their network connection, resulting in faster start times and reduced re-buffering during playback.

These playback improvements are currently rolling out to Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts. While these enhancements only apply to new videos uploaded to Drive at the moment, Google has promised that existing videos will also be updated by the end of the year.

Overall, these updates aim to make Google Drive a more efficient and user-friendly platform for storing and accessing files, with improvements to both search functionality and video playback capabilities.