Google’s Go Files application has just received a new update, and that update brings a ton of new functionality to the application. The first feature that Google is rolling out for Files Go is called ‘Advanced Browse’, which essentially allows you to dig into the folders on your smartphone. Needless to say, this was quite probably the most requested feature for the app, as it’s essentially a part of every other file manager application out there. The second feature that Google added to the Files Go app is called ‘Advanced App Installs’, which is a verification method for peer-to-peer shared apps, and it will make sure that the apps you install are actually from the Play Store, and are not some sort of malicious software or something of the sort. Sharing has been improved in the app as well (connections now take less than 5 seconds, transfer speeds to over 500Mbps), while the company has also opted to include a Media Player to the application. Files Go will now be able to play both audio and video files natively thanks to the built-in media player, and this player also supports background playback, so you won’t have to be in-app in order to enjoy some music. All of this info has arrived from the company’s Product Manager who posted it on Reddit, and he also hinted that a new Material Theme for the Files Go app will be live in a couple of weeks, which is not surprising considering that Google pushed out such redesigns to a number of its applications already, including Messages and Google Photos, to name a few.
Background: The Files Go application was released last year, and it actually comes pre-installed on Android Go smartphones. For those of you who do not know, Android Go operating system is made for devices which have 1GB or less RAM. Android Go is considerably lighter than regular Android, installation is half the size of regular Android, and it comes with a number of such ‘Go’ apps out of the box, including YouTube Go, Google Maps Go, and so on. Files Go can be used on other devices as well, and it is available to download from the Google Play Store. That files manager has been downloaded over 10 million times at this point (pre-installs included), and it currently boasts a 4.6-star rating in the Play Store, after over 400,000 reviews.
Impact: The Files Go app is a go-to app for quite a few Android users, regardless whether they’re using Android Go or not, so new features are always welcome, as long as they’re not bogging down the application, of course. Google did add some useful features this time around, as the ‘Advanced Browse’ was highly-requested, while sharing improvements, and a built-in media player will be useful for some users as well. Google’s Product Manager was not exactly specific when it comes to the new Material Theme update, but the update is coming in the near future, so Files Go users have something else to look forward to, presuming you actually like Google’s new Material Design, of course.