Google Drive Now Getting YouTube-Style Thumbnail Previews for Videos

If you think watching a video on Google Drive is a pain, that’s about to change. The platform is getting a handy feature that YouTube has had for years. Now, you’ll see thumbnail previews when hovering over the progress bar on any video.

This feature, as we know from YouTube, is quite helpful. For instance, if you need to find a specific scene in a 10-minute video, it can help you jump to the right moment in seconds. Google Drive users will no longer have to guess — they can easily find any scene they want.

Thumbnail previews make watching videos easier on Google Drive

Google shared a blog post announcing that thumbnail previews are now available in Drive. This feature helps users find specific moments within videos more easily. The tech giant also says that the latest addition will enhance both the overall video viewing experience and productivity.

The company’s statement is as follows;

‘’Starting today, when hovering over a newly uploaded video’s progress bar in Google Drive, you’ll see a thumbnail preview that allows you to quickly view and navigate to specific parts of a video. With the ability to find the right moments in videos, this update improves productivity and the overall video viewing experience in Google Drive.’’

This feature will only be available on new videos

There are a few things to note in Google’s post. While the feature works for videos uploaded via the web or the mobile Google Drive app, the previews themselves are only visible on the web version of the platform. It will only apply to newly uploaded videos. Existing videos won’t be able to use this feature.

Thumbnail previews for Google Drive are available starting today. However, like any new feature, it may take some time to reach all users.

Finally, it will be rolled out to all Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and personal Google account users beginning August 20th.