What you need to know
- Google is rolling out a new PDF viewer for the Files by Google app, as it shared in a recent update to the app’s Play Store listing.
- The old PDF viewer incorporated Google Drive, but now, the new one is specific to Google Files.
- It’s easier to share, star, and take actions while viewing a PDF while using the new Files by Google interface.
Files by Google is receiving a minor upgrade that could enhance your PDF viewing experience. The app is introducing a new view that utilizes a custom PDF viewer, rather than the integrated one from Google Drive. This change will make accessing certain options easier, such as starring a PDF or sharing it with others. Alternatively, you can still use the PDF viewer in the Google Drive app if you prefer the previous user interface.
Google showcased the update in the “What’s new” section of the Files by Google app listing on the Google Play Store. The note mentions, “Over the next few weeks, we’re rolling out improvements to your experience with PDF files. Print, find content, or access markup tools whenever you open a PDF in the Files app.”
9to5Google first observed the change being rolled out to users of version 1.5687 of the Google Files app after a server-side adjustment. Android Central confirmed the new PDF viewer on its devices, but one device needed to be updated to Android 15 before the change took effect.
You can view the new look of the PDF viewer in Files by Google in the screenshots below.
(Image credit: Future)
Now, the overflow menu allows you to access key options that were not available with the previous UI. With the older version, some menu buttons were only accessible through the list view of documents in the Files by Google app. They were not present after opening the PDF using the external Drive viewer, but this has been addressed with the new Files by Google custom PDF viewer.
The Find and Save to Drive icons have been replaced by Star and Share on the new viewer. These can be clicked without opening the overflow menu. The new overflow menu includes additional options such as Use as, Open with, Move to Trash, Move to, Copy to, Move to Safe folder, File info, Find in file, and Print.
Lastly, the markup button (floating action button) has been redesigned, and some files will have a Google Lens button above it that quickly opens Circle to Search.