In late 2021, Google promised to update several first-party apps to better suit Android-based foldable phones and tablets. And the company has indeed updated most of them for large-screen devices. While Google Docs already had a decent layout, the company is giving it a makeover to match its recent redesign on the web.
Google is updating Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides for Android tablets and foldable phones. They all are getting a modernized visual design featuring a pill-shaped layout for the text format toolbar. This toolbar now follows the Material 3 design guideline, giving users a more consistent experience across Android and the web. Other options such as redo, undo, user profiles for live collaboration, and adding more elements to the document remain at the top right side of the screen.
There is also a comments button, and when you press it, comments and updates from live collaborators appear on a floating sheet on the right side. Other updates include better support for file drag and drop. Google said, “Android users will notice a refreshed look for things like the editing toolbar, icons, background colors, and more.”
The same design isn't available yet for Android smartphones. However, we expect phones to get the newly designed UI within the next few weeks. You should see the new design of Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides within the next few days.
