Google Drive is getting a new two-page layout on large screens, such as foldable phones and tablets. This is a significant improvement over the current layout, which merely stretches out the same portrait UI to fit landscape screens.
This new two-page layout option was spotted by @AssembleDebug on X and it seems to be showing up widely with version 2.23.407.1 of the Google Drive app on Android, though I was also able to replicate it on a foldable device using the current version (v2.23.397.0) found on the Play Store. It appears that this is a beta test currently in progress, so your mileage may vary. If the feature is available to you, you will see a new button on the top right of the document viewer (right before the three-dot menu), which you can tap to trigger this view.
The new layout will make it much easier to read or quickly scan documents on large-screen devices. For example, users will be able to see two consecutive pages side by side, which will make it easier to compare and contrast different parts of a document. Additionally, the new layout will allow users to view more content on the screen at once, which will reduce the need to scroll up and down.
Single and two-Page layout in Google Drive on a foldable device (Image source: Phone Arena)
The two-page layout option is a significant change for the Drive app for Android because it addresses a long-standing complaint from foldable device users. The portrait-only layout was simply not suitable for large-screen devices, and it made it difficult to navigate between different pages of a document.
There is currently no known timeline for when the two-page layout will become widely available. However, it is likely that the feature will be rolled out to all users in a future Google Drive app update, a welcome improvement for users who rely on Google Drive for productivity on large-screen devices.
