Google Drive Update Adds Video Streaming on Android
What changed
- Video streaming. You can play videos stored in Drive without saving them to the phone first. This worked on Honeycomb and newer only.
- Pinch to zoom. The presentation viewer gained pinch to zoom.
Why Drive mattered
The author counted Google Drive, which began life as Google Docs, among their favourite Google products. Several people could edit one document at the same time. That made group projects easier at school, and the Android in Canada team used it to share ideas with each other.
Getting the update
The update arrived through the Play Store. The author called Drive a must-have app and urged anyone who had not installed it to do so.
Today
Drive has been updated many times since. Streaming video from the cloud is now routine, so treat this page as a record of when the feature first reached Android.
Frequently asked questions
Which Android versions could stream video?
Honeycomb and higher.
What else did the update add?
Pinch to zoom in the presentation viewer.
Did Drive used to have another name?
Yes. The author remembered it as Google Docs.