Thumbnail previews will now show on video progress bar in Google Drive

What’s changing

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. 

Getting started

• Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
• End users:
  • To use this feature, upload a new video to your Drive account (via web or mobile app) > open the newly uploaded video in Drive web > hover your mouse over the video progress bar to see thumbnail previews and drag your mouse along the progress bar to quickly scrub through the video using the thumbnails.
  • Note: This feature is only available for newly uploaded videos.
  • Visit the Help Center to learn more about finding specific video moments with thumbnail previews.

Rollout pace

• Rapid Release domains: Extended rollout (potentially longer than 15 days for feature visibility) starting on July 22, 2025
• Scheduled Release domains: Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility) starting on August 20, 2025

Availability

• Available to all Google Workspace customers, Google Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts