Google is silently redesigning the Docs mobile experience with intelligent search, a new Material 3 look, and an ergonomic editing layout. The references were found in an APK teardown of the Android app (version 1.25.381.00.90), and include search filters, a more “Expressive” redesign of the floating action button (FAB), and new formatting controls that are easier to use one-handed.
Smarter search with new filters for Docs on mobile
Docs appears to be prepping three filters—Type, People, and Modified—inline within the app’s search interface. The trio mimic the handy little “chips” that many users have learned to appreciate in both Google Drive and Gmail, providing long-missing specificity when it comes to finding what you’re looking for on your phone.
It implies that you can filter results down to just Docs or PDFs (Type), a file shared by or with certain collaborators (People), and files within a certain timeframe (Modified). For teams, the People filter might be the hero: We all know how great it is to surface that quarterly plan your colleague edited yesterday without having to sort through a sea of similarly named drafts.
The change also reflects a broader push in Workspace to maintain consistent search behavior across apps, minimizing the mental load of hopping between Drive, Docs, and Gmail just to find a file.
Material 3 Expressive arrives on the FAB
The floating action button is receiving an Expressive update, following Google’s Material Design 3 guidelines. Look for a more pronounced plus icon, along with pill-shaped containers for quick actions rather than the current circular rectangles, offering better visual affordance.
Universal design: Beyond the good looks, what I love about this trend is that it also feels accessible. Bigger touch targets and a clearer hierarchy mean mis-taps are more easily avoided, and speed feels better, especially on crowded screens. It also moves Docs closer to its new look and feel that’s already making its way across other Workspace apps, which should help ensure design consistency throughout the suite.
Formatting with a single hand and scrolling toolbar
Arguably the widest-reaching usability change is that the formatting entry point will move from the top of the screen to the bottom toolbar. That’s a tiny move with outsize impact. With the majority of new phones these days at 6.5 inches or bigger—now that’s mainstay territory according to various industry trackers—reachability is key.
Controls near the thumb adhere to Fitts’s Law and common “thumb zone” design patterns promoted by the Nielsen Norman Group. In portrait mode, the new bottom bar also becomes horizontally scrollable, revealing quick-access formatting actions that once required a tap deeper into a document. If you’re in landscape, on tablets or foldables, there’s space to show more options at the same time so that power users keep their speed.
This poses a contrast to what other competitors have done, like Microsoft Word’s bottom-aligned ribbon on mobile, and to the publishing world at large where “mobile-first” editing is no longer a compromise—it’s the primary way in which an increasing number of users work.
Why these changes matter for Google Docs on Android
Search filters should reduce time-to-document and remove friction when you’re on the go, in a meeting, or juggling multiple projects. The Expressive FAB and enhanced bottom toolbar tackle how people really hold phones, especially when they’re on a packed commute or trying to multitask.
Combined, these fixes also push Docs toward a more human-focused design for mobile: faster to get around, easier to access, and visually harmonious. They also highlight Google’s focus on cross-app coherence, something that both Material 3 has heavily pushed in its rollout and Workspace with its “unified” design language.
What to watch next as Google refines the rollout
Since these features were spotted in an app teardown, they might arrive behind server-side flags or via a staged rollout, and the specifics could change before hitting stable. Watch to see if Sheets and Slides also follow that same bottom toolbar model and Expressive FAB—which would indicate a suite-wide consistency move.
Assuming they do and the aforementioned one-handed tweaks deliver, Google Docs on Android would feel significantly more nimble and user-friendly—especially for folks who create and collaborate predominantly via phone.
