Google Is Working On Giving The Docs Android App A Few Web Features (APK Teardown)
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The Google Docs Android app could get some features that are currently available on the web version.
- Users may soon be able to add bookmarks and create document tabs.
- Docs on Android may also get a few AI features like “Summarize this document.”
Google Docs on Android has many of the same features as the web version, but not all of them. For example, only the web version of Google Docs allows you to create Document tabs. However, a future update could bring the two a little closer to parity.
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An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
In version 1.25.062.00.90 of the Google Docs Android app, we discovered a Bookmark feature. While this feature has been available on the web and iOS, it has not yet been made available on Android. When enabled, this feature can be accessed by selecting text and then tapping on the + icon in the top header. This will open up the bottom sheet with an option to bookmark. A bookmark icon will appear next to the text you selected.
During our investigation, we also encountered a Document tabs feature (pictured above). Unlike Bookmarks, the ability to create document tabs is currently exclusive to the web version of Docs. The option to add new tabs appears when you enter into edit mode.
Last, but not least, we found that Google is working on giving the Android app some AI help. It appears that we could soon see some Gemini features come to the app.
The features that we found are similar to that of Gmail. In the screenshots above, you can see the Gemini icon in the top toolbar. Tapping on that icon opens up a bottom sheet with options to “Summarize this document” and “Outline the main points.” There’s also a sticky Summarize this document button below the top toolbar. At the moment, these features don’t work and only show the “something went wrong” error.
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