A new addition to the bottom bar could be coming soon
Google has a slew of first-party apps that are sort of a complete starter kit for any new Android phone that goes on sale. Despite the popularity of third-party alternatives to these Google apps, a few of them remain favorites among Android enthusiasts. We still count Files by Google as one of the best file manager apps on Android, and it’s only getting better. Word is Google is rethinking its approach to secure in-app file storage, opting to develop a new option in the bottom bar now.
Old files users should be familiar with an option called Secure Folder that has been around since 2020. It takes a PIN or pattern to unlock, and all files stored in this locked folder are inaccessible to third-party apps. You can’t even share them or take a screenshot of them. Nail Sadykov of the Google News Telegram channel has seen a new feature in development called the Important tab with a strikingly similar feature.
Squeezed in as the second option between Beautiful And To leaf through in the bottom bar, the new Important tab opens a blank screen where you can add files using the right-aligned floating action button (FAB). Tapping the button displays options to scan with the camera, choose an existing file, or choose an existing photo. Sadykov reports that tapping the first option opens Goggle Camera, but the app says it doesn’t have permissions to write to that secure folder. Since you could theoretically add any type of file here, an option to group them by file type would be useful, and could be in the cards.
There are a few notable differences that separate the existing Secure Folder option from the capabilities of the Important tab. First, you should be able to share files from the latter without moving them first. Then the upcoming save location can be more secure because it uses the Android biometric prompt instead of a PIN or pattern. As a result, files stored in the Important tab can be easily accessed and more securely hidden from prying eyes – a win-win situation.
The Nearby Sharing tab in this upcoming version of the Files app will also be slightly modified to include a detailed feature description. The To steer And Received buttons will also be the same size instead of the option name text defining the button width.
That said, the bottom bar of many Google apps, such as Gmail, has seen a lot of new changes in recent months, so it’s not surprising that Google is going this route and planning to add the Important option to the app as well Files. There’s no telling what the Safe Folder option we’re using today has in store, though.
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