Files by Google is perhaps one of the smartest file management apps available for allthe top Android phones.It comes loaded with features that let you automate a bunch of things, like cleaning up your phone storage, organizing your files, and even securing your sensitive stuff with a PIN lock. To make the app even better at handling your important documents, including IDs and health certificates, Google Files is now rolling out Smart Search more widely.
We got ourfirst glimpse at Smart Search in Files by Googlea couple of weeks back. The feature scans your phone’s storage to identify any ID cards or health and travel documents and puts them in a dedicated folder so that you can locate them quickly without any hassle. These scans happen automatically and periodically so that your documents list remains up to date.
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Earlier,this feature wasn’t available for everyone, and a user was able to unlock it with a flag. However, it now looks like Google is gradually bringing Smart Search to more users worldwide. It recently showed up for some of our team members along with our tipster. But it still hasn’t appeared for all of us even after updating to the latest version of the app, indicating a slow rollout through a server-side switch.
When you get Smart Search, Files by Google will take some time to scan all your files and index them. Once it’s done, you will see a new section on the bottom menu bar calledImportant. The section is further divided into multiple tabs to separate your ID cards from health and travel files to make their discovery easier. If you’re wondering, Smart Search is different from Google Files’ (currently under development)integration of India’s Digilocker appthat pulls your documents from the country’s central repository.
It’s worth noting that the Google Files app only reads the content of these files (including images) only to index them and doesn’t let you search for text within a document or screenshot — which could be a pretty handy feature for the app if Google decides to add it. While Google assures that your scanned data doesn’t leave the device, you have the option to turn off Smart Search from the app’s settings menu in case you’re concerned about your privacy.
Source: @AssembleDebug/Telegram
If you get Smart Search on your Files by Google app, you will see a pop-up note to inform you about the feature’s arrival, as shown in the screenshot above. As previously mentioned, this looks like a server-side rollout that isn’t tied to the newest app version. However, you can still try your luck by pulling the latest version of Files by Google from the Play Store orAPK Mirror.
