Google Drive for Android Update Prompts Users to Install Docs, Sheets Apps

Google recently announced standalone offline document editing apps - Docs, Sheets, and Slides - for both Android and iOS platforms. While the Docs and Sheets apps have already been released, the Slides app is expected soon.

As mentioned by Google at the announcement of the Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps, the Google Drive app will do away with the ability to edit documents and sheets within the app itself. Android Police, which has made available a signed apk for the updated Google Drive v1.3 available for download, reports that the new Google Drive update will now prompt users to install the standalone apps for Docs and Sheets when users try to edit the relevant documents.

However, the report notes that once both the Docs and Sheets apps have been installed on an Android device, the Drive app works as it ever was. The new update for Google Drive app for Android is yet to be rolled out; however, the report claims that it might be out by this week.

Other features that the new Google Drive app for Android update (v1.3) brings include re-arranged slide-out navigation panel with settings link; automatically uses Docs and Sheets apps in Drive (once standalone apps installed), and new file button and refresh button in overflow menu.

In addition, the Mountain View giant has updated its Google Drive for iOS with an optional passcode lock. It's worth noting that the new passcode feature is yet to be released for Google Drive app for Android.

Further, the Drive app's App Store listing notes that, "The latest version of the Drive app works seamlessly with the new Docs and Sheets apps." The new update, much like Android strips the ability to edit documents and spreadsheets. The latest version of Google Drive is now available in App Store and also brings few bug fixes and performance improvements.

Earlier, Google lowered the prices of paid plans of its Drive cloud storage service. Notably, the new Google Drive storage prices were way below what OneDrive and Dropbox charge.