What you should know
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- Google Drive is testing a new “Categories” feature to enhance file organization, offering a more expansive search and categorization system than its current “labels” feature, which is limited to Workspace admins.
- The “Categories” feature allows users to assign files to one or more of 12 predefined categories, such as Auto, Banking, Expenses, and more, directly from the Drive app by selecting “Manage Categories” from the file’s menu.
- Unlike traditional folder structures, this categorization method enables users to apply multiple categories to the same file, improving file discovery and organization within Google Drive.
- The feature, initially found in the Android app, is designed to work across Android, iOS, and web versions of Google Drive, making it a universal organizational tool available to all Google account users, not just Workspace admins.
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Full Story
Oh, Google did something pretty neat last year. They rolled out this feature that was all about making our digital lives a tad easier. You know, for us Google Drive users who are forever losing files in the digital abyss. It was supposed to help us find stuff with some fancy filters. But, let’s be real, it was kinda basic. Only available on iOS, and those filters? Super narrow.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Google Drive’s Android app might just be getting a glow-up. Yep, they’re testing out more expansive search categories. It’s like they heard our silent cries for help.
So, there’s this dude, @AsembleDebug from The SP Android, who was poking around the Google Drive app’s code. And guess what he found? A new “Categories” feature. This isn’t your grandma’s “labels” feature, which, by the way, only Workspace admins can mess with. “Categories” is looking to be way more user-friendly. And let’s not even start on the iOS version, which is stuck with whatever categories Google decided on.
How’s it gonna work, you ask? Well, “Categories” is gonna let you slap your files into one (or more!) of 12 predefined boxes. We’re talking Auto, Banking, Expenses – the whole shebang. Just hit the three-dot menu next to a file, select “Manage Categories,” and bam, you’re organizing like a pro.
But here’s the kicker. Unlike dumping everything into a folder, you can tag a file with multiple categories. Picture this: your bill PDFs can be both “Expenses” and “Travel.” That’s gonna make finding stuff a breeze. Imagine all your important docs, all cozy and organized, just a click away on the Drive home screen. No more digging through folders like a mad person.
Now, this shiny new feature was first spotted in the Android app. But don’t fret, it’s not playing favorites. The plan is for this to work across Android, iOS, and even the web version of Drive. A universal tool to declutter our digital mess? Yes, please.
And here’s the best part: it’s not just for the Workspace elite. Anybody with a Google account gets to join the party. So, yeah, Google’s stepping up its game, and our chaotic digital lives might just get a bit more manageable. Fingers crossed, right?
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