Google announced a handful of new features for Google Drive on Wednesday including sharing notifications, requesting and granting file access on mobile, and previewing files without a Google account on Android.
“When you store your important files somewhere, you want to have peace of mind that they’ll be safe and easy-to-access later,” says Google Drive group product manager Alex Vogenthaler. “That’s why everything in Drive is always encrypted. And why we encourage all of our users to complete a simple Security Checkup every now and then. Of course, this should include file sharing as well — it should be super easy to control who sees what.”
“You may have noticed recently that it’s easier to select and share multiple files and folders on iOS and Android — but checking your email may not be the fastest way to find out when something’s been shared with you,” he says. “So starting today, you’ll receive mobile notifications to alert you immediately when files or folders are shared with you and a single tap can take you right to them.”
The Drive for Android app will now let recipients request access one with one tap when a link to a file or folder is shared before access is granted. On Android and iOS, file owners will be notified of the request instantly.
Not all the features are available right away. If you can’t utilize something, you should be able to in the next week or so as it rolls out.
Image via Google