Table of Contents
- Background: Google One and Storage Management
- What the Google One Storage Manager Update Changes
- How the New Swipe-to-Delete Works
- Design: Material 3 Expressive Elements Explained
- Why These Changes Matter
- Rollout, Availability and How to Access the Update
- Tips for Safer Cleanup
- Conclusion & What’s Next

Background: Google One and Storage Management
Google One’s Storage Manager has become the central place for users to review and trim files across Google Photos, Drive, and Gmail. As storage needs grow with higher-resolution photos and longer videos, quick cleanup tools are increasingly important. Google’s support pages have long pointed users to the Storage Manager for freeing account space, and the company regularly updates its apps to streamline this experience.
What the Google One Storage Manager Update Changes
The Google One Storage Manager update (reported in build v1.287.828055836) introduces several visible UX changes: smaller, higher-density thumbnails, a redesigned checkmark for item selection, single-row filter chips, and a top suggestion card encouraging users to clear unnecessary files. These tweaks were spotted in an app teardown and screenshot comparison published by Android Authority and covered by other outlets.
Beyond cosmetics, the most notable functional change is a Tinder-style swipe interface that appears when reviewing suggested items—users can swipe left to delete and swipe right (or equivalent) to keep an item, making cleanup faster and less tedious. This pattern is live in the Google One app’s Storage Manager and mirrors an interaction Google has trialed elsewhere.
How the New Swipe-to-Delete Works
Access the new swipe cleanup in Google One by tapping the “Clean up” card on the app’s main screen or selecting “Clean up space” under the Storage tab. Once you start reviewing suggestions—photos, videos, or files—the Storage Manager presents items in a single-card view with swipe gestures for quick decisions. The smaller thumbnails let more items fit on-screen, while the new checkmark and filter chips let you toggle bulk actions without leaving the swipe flow. Reports show the swipe interface works for both Google Photos and Drive panes within Storage Manager.
Design: Material 3 Expressive Elements Explained
The update extends Google’s Material 3 Expressive language to Storage Manager—this means bolder surfaces, more compact chips, and a modest shift in typography and spacing designed to improve information density. Google’s Material 3 Expressive rollout has been visible across many apps this year, and the One app’s Storage Manager now shares that visual language, resulting in a unified look and feel with other Google apps.
Specific design changes include:
- Smaller thumbnails for higher information density.
- A refreshed selection checkmark with clearer affordance.
- Filter chips aligned in a single row to reduce vertical scrolling.
- A top suggestion card to guide users toward the most impactful cleanup actions.
Why These Changes Matter
The Google One Storage Manager update does more than refresh visuals: it rethinks how users interact with storage suggestions. Swipe actions convert a multi-step deletion process into a one-handed, quick decision flow—particularly useful on phones where users frequently manage media. Android Authority highlights that this “dating-app style” interaction turns a chore into a short, gamified flow that can increase completion rates for cleanup tasks.
Smaller thumbnails and improved information density also help users scan more items faster, which is helpful when your storage quota is tight and you need to identify duplicates, large videos, or low-quality images at a glance. These changes make mobile storage hygiene both faster and more user-friendly.
Rollout, Availability and How to Access the Update
The updated UI has been reported in version v1.287.828055836, and outlets that performed APK teardowns and screenshots spotted the changes. As with most Google-side rollouts, the update is expected to reach users gradually; some users may see the new flow immediately, while others will get it in the following weeks. If you don’t see the update yet, ensure your Google One app is updated from the Play Store and check the Storage tab’s “Clean up” options periodically.
For desktop users, Google One’s web Storage Manager remains the primary cleanup center with manual selection workflows; the swipe interface is currently tailored for mobile app ergonomics. Google’s official help documentation continues to show how to free up space through the web interface and app, but the Tinder-style UI is specific to mobile.

Tips for Safer Cleanup
Before mass-deleting, follow these practical tips:
- Back up essential photos and files to a secondary storage (external drive or another cloud) if they are irreplaceable.
- Use the filter chips to surface large files, videos, or items you haven’t opened recently.
- Double-check duplicate suggestions—some automatic detections can be imperfect.
- Take advantage of the new selection checkmark for controlled bulk deletions rather than swiping everything at once.
Conclusion & What’s Next
The Google One Storage Manager update blends practical UX improvements with Google’s evolving Material 3 Expressive style. By adding a swipe-to-delete mechanic and tightening information density, Google is focusing on ease and speed—helpful for users juggling ever-growing photo and video libraries. App teardown reports suggest the update is already rolling out in the v1.287.828055836 build, and we can expect Google to continue iterating as it gathers user-feedback signals.
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By The News Update— Updated: 12 November 2025, 12:33 IST

