Early look: Google Docs preps search filters, one-handed tweaks, and Expressive revamp

Google Docs works perfectly fine as it is, but of course, there’s always room for improvement. To make the experience even better, Google is working on a bunch of UI changes that should prove helpful when they eventually roll out.

In total, we found that Google Docs is in store for three big UI changes. These alterations were discovered in version 1.25.381.00.90 of the Google Docs app during our APK teardown. The first change will introduce three new filters you’ll be able to use when searching for a document. These filters include:

• Type: The type of file, like a spreadsheet, document, or presentation.
• People: This filters files by the people who own the file.
• Modified: Filters documents based on the last time the file was modified (e.g., last seven days, last 30 days, this year, last year, and a custom range).

The screenshot to the left shows a query entered in the current search screen. Meanwhile, the right screenshot shows the same query entered into this update search screen.

Next up, Google Docs is getting a taste of Material 3 Expressive. This change is coming to the floating action button (FAB), as you can see in the screenshot below. The plus icon is bolder and the two options now sit in pill-shaped containers instead of rounded rectangles. The icons for these options have also been relocated inside the containers.

The last major UI update concerns the formatting tool. In the current version of Google Docs, the formatting option is near the top of the screen, next to the plus icon. However, it seems Google plans to move this option to the bottom toolbar, where it will be in a more one-handed-friendly position.

In addition to the relocation, the bottom toolbar will now be horizontally scrollable. This will give you quick access to a few of the options that were previously only present inside the formatting sheet. Of course, this only applies when your phone is in portrait mode, as landscape mode offers enough room for all options to be presented at the same time. This is also the case if you’re using a tablet or a foldable.