Summary
- Google is updating the Docs, Sheets, and Slides app on Android tablets with a new formatting sidebar for easier access to essential tools.
- The update is rolling out now but could take a couple of weeks to become widely available. It will be accessible to all Workspace users and personal account holders.
- Google says the formatting sidebar in Docs, Sheets, and Slides meets the Material Design 3 guidelines.
Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are an integral part of the Workspace suite, complemented well by other Google apps in the ecosystem. The three Workspace apps generally tend to get updates together, which makes it easier for users to get accustomed to the changes. Similarly, Google is now upgrading the Docs, Slides, and Sheets apps on Android tablets with a new formatting sidebar.
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This new sidebar for the commonly used formatting tools adheres to the Material Design 3 guidelines, Google says in its Workspace blog. The new sidebar is activated by tapping the Format button, which is the penultimate option on the right side of the toolbar. It’s worth noting that the formatting sidebar doesn’t necessarily free up space in the toolbar area on the top, which continues to have a couple of buttons for undo and redo on the left and icons for Format, which takes you back to the toolbar view, and the document mode switcher (editing, suggesting, viewing) on the right.
But a key advantage of this new option is that it lets tablet users make formatting changes to their documents quickly and with fewer taps than usual. Things can get pretty confusing with only the icons appearing in the toolbar, and this new sidebar is designed to make this experience a little better. There’s also easier access to functions like page breaks, line spacing, colors, tables, and several other formatting options. Of course, you can always go back to the original toolbar if you find this view uncomfortable.
The good news is that this formatting sidebar will be available to all Workspace users and those on personal Google accounts. While it has begun rolling out over the weekend, some users may have to wait until early March to find the sidebar across the three Workspace apps.
Although Google didn’t provide an illustration of this new formatting sidebar on Slides and Sheets, it should be identical to the Docs experience. Google’s teams responsible for pushing updates to Docs, Sheets, and Slides have been busy the past few days, with the web version of the three apps finally letting users manage comments more efficiently.
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