Google Updates Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides With Useful Features

Google has updated its Drive app for Android and iOS, and the Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps, with all new features in the past few days.

Starting with Google Drive, users will now be able to share Drive files through Gmail as attachments, apart from a simple 'Insert from Drive' link, a feature already present since June. The 'Insert as Attachment' option from Google Drive will allow users to attach Drive files directly to a Gmail message - the files will remain attached even if deleted from Drive.

"Now you can be sure your friend will always have that great candid photo from your weekend getaway, or the PDF for your aunt's fruitcake recipe (do people actually eat Fruitcake?) even if you delete it from your Drive," noted company on its Google+ post.

Google Drive for Android users will now be able to search Drive files with a voice command from Google's native Search app. Users will need to say, "OK, Google - search for [file name] on Drive", to get to files without opening the app and typing keywords, says company. For iOS 8 users, the Google Drive app now allows users to upload content from other iOS apps.

Lastly, the Google Drive app on Android and iOS will let users access and share custom maps created with Google My Maps.

While the Android update will roll out over the next week or so, the updated iOS app is already available on the App Store.

On the other hand, going ahead with last week's updates for Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides platforms, Google has announced improvements for its Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps that will be available via Google Play, starting Wednesday.

"All three apps are now even friendlier with Office files with easier file creation and other updates, and we've added better accessibility options and squashed some bugs," said company on its Google+ post.

Apart from the last week's editing options for Docs, Sheets, and Slides, the new add-ons for Docs, Sheets and Forms, created by developers, will help users with things like printing mailing labels or adding MLA-approved citations, right from a document.

Especially for blind and low-vision users, Google has added Braille support to read and enter text in Docs, Slides and Drawings. Additionally, the text-to-voice verbalization and screen reader's announcements will guide users about other people entering, leaving or editing a document alongside.