Point, shoot, type: Gboard's new feature lets you scan text with your camera
Our smart devices simplify our lives in so many ways by helping us with everyday tasks, work, and entertainment. Since typing is something we all do regularly, it's great to see tech companies working on making it quicker and simpler, too.
As per information from reliable leaker Mishaal Rahman (via Android Central), Google is introducing a new feature called Scan Text to Gboard. When you use the feature, your camera will open, taking up a bit more than half of your display. A button will appear at the bottom center, along with a tagline that says, "Take a photo of words to scan."
Afterward, Gboard highlights all the text it identifies on the page. You can then insert the content captured from the photo into messages, notes, and other places. The feature also provides a quick preview of what it copied beside the insert button.
The new Scan Text feature on Gboard seems similar to Google Lens, but for some users, it might be quicker and more convenient. Google Lens is a handy smartphone app that uses your camera for tasks like text recognition and object searches. However, it's important to know that Gboard's new feature doesn't save the photo to your device. It just captures it temporarily for copying and pasting before discarding it.
The latest Gboard feature is rolling out in the newest Gboard beta (version 13.9), though it's not yet widely available. In recent updates, Gboard also introduced handwriting recognition for tablets and foldable phones. Additionally, the AI-powered Gboard Smart Reply is now compatible with two more messaging apps.
Gboard is rolling out a new "Scan Text" mode that lets you take a photo of text to insert into a text field. Have heard from several people that this is now rolling out, but it may not have reached everyone yet. Let me know if you see this! pic.twitter.com/7fcs5vEpGT
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) February 22, 2024
The latest Gboard feature is rolling out in the newest Gboard beta (version 13.9), though it's not yet widely available. In recent updates, Gboard also introduced handwriting recognition for tablets and foldable phones. Additionally, the AI-powered Gboard Smart Reply is now compatible with two more messaging apps.
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