The Google Pixel 8 might need gained the perfect smartphone award at this yr’s Cellular World Congress (MWC), however Google’s newest announcement may very well be the true one successful everybody’s hearts — a much-needed improve to video playback inside Google Drive.

Anybody who’s ever used Google Drive for movies is aware of the ache. The expertise is way from clean, movies take eternally to begin, and buffering throws you again to the period of dial-up web.

Nicely, these days may very well be over. Google introduced that it’s implementing Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) transcoding for all new movies uploaded to Drive beginning at the moment. This interprets to adaptive bitrate playback, which means video high quality adjusts robotically based mostly in your web connection.

The replace guarantees vital enhancements in “be a part of time,” which means the time between clicking play and the video really beginning. Enhancements must also be obvious in buffering and re-buffering occasions, particularly when scrubbing by way of a video or watching at increased playback speeds.

This replace is rolling out now to all customers, together with Google Workspace customers, particular person subscribers, and principally anybody with a private Google account. Whereas this function applies to solely new uploads as of now, Google states present movies shall be upgraded by the tip of the yr.

Google can also be giving Drive’s search operate on iOS units a much-needed enhance, with Android units anticipated to comply with swimsuit. Customers can now count on a lot simpler search filters in Drive, together with class filters like File Sort, Proprietor, and Final Modified, accessible straight in a devoted row beneath the search bar.

The Google Drive apps may also get smarter search recommendations as you sort your question, with related filter recommendations popping up as you sort. Lastly, customers may also have the ability to refine their search outcomes additional after finishing an preliminary search.

The search updates are already rolling out to Google Workspace customers, particular person subscribers, and anybody with a private Google account utilizing iOS units. General, these updates are a welcome signal that Google is lastly listening to the person expertise inside Google Drive.