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Google’s Files app for Android gets improved local media controls

Google’s Files app for Android gets improved local media controls

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It’s also getting a dark mode, obviously

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Image: Google

Google’s Files app, the company’s first-party file management app for Android, is being updated with better offline playback controls for music and video files, the company announced in a blog post published today. The new controls will allow you to skip, rewind, or fast-forward through your media. The company also said that the app will also shortly receive support for a dark mode, which Google has been adding to each of its apps in advance of the launch of Android Q’s system-wide dark mode option.

Upgraded offline playback controls are a pretty minor feature in the grand scheme of things, and there is no shortage of apps available on the Play Store that have better controls than what Files will offer. However, I don’t think I’ve played a local file on my phone in years now that I stream all of my music and video content. That makes having a dedicated local music or video playing app pretty unnecessary for someone like me, but it’s nice that Files is able to do playback well on those odd occasions when I need it, especially as the company’s existing Google Play Music player becomes less and less of a focus. YouTube Music can now handle local playback, but at least you won’t need to jump between apps with Files.

Here’s what the new dark mode will look like.
Here’s what the new dark mode will look like.
Image: Google

Alongside the new feature announcements, Google also revealed some usage statistics for Files. According to the company, the app is now used by 100 million users worldwide who use the app to free up the equivalent of 8GB of space every second using its built-in space-saving features.

The company says the new features should be coming to Files in the next few days.