More effort was needed from Google to kick off more support for Android tablets, this is the first thought that comes to mind judging by the many improvements to the UI that more and more applications are implementing. It all started in 2021, when the company has promised to update 20 proprietary apps to introduce a multi-column layout of the main sections, and so it is actually happening.
To give more impetus in this direction is certainly the imminent arrival of a Pixel Tablet, expected in 2023, but of course all those who own an Android tablet are already benefiting from it. In fact, not only Google is moving in this direction, but as we have seen recently, TikTok has also started to give life to a tablet-optimized UI.
True to the above promise, Google has introduced an updated version of Discover with a multi-column interface. Previously there were only two columns available for reading the news, the same both in portrait and landscape, but now switching to horizontal mode, three will be available from today. Thanks to this solution, not only is the annoying presence of empty space on the sides of the UI reduced, but the available space of the display is optimized.
The Google Search app also received the same treatment, which features a similar three-column UI design when flipped to landscape mode, with the navigation menu pinned to the left side.
As can be seen from the screenshots above, what is still missing is the introduction of Material You design in all sections of the app. Indeed the availability of the new UI is partial, as we find it only on devices with Android 12L and Android 13, including the Galaxy Tab S8 series.
Google plans to bring this tablet-optimized design to many other applications, moreover, the company is pushing developers to review the UI of their proprietary solutions as soon as possible, precisely with the aim of improving the use of display space when use a tablet, all to the benefit of productivity.
Samsung has always been one step ahead of other Android competitors in the tablet segment, and in fact it has already worked in this direction with its own applications, as we have seen with the excellent Galaxy Tab series.
