Google on Wednesday updated its Now on Tap adding new capabilities including system-wide dictionary and search by image. It is a Google Search feature that gets triggered when a user holds the home button of the device running Android 6.0 Marshmallow and offers contextual information around the topic mentioned in the screen now open.
Advertisement
Google’s Now on Tap functionality is something that only those on Marshmallow and above have the ability to use, as it was introduced officially a year ago alongside Android 6.0 Marshmallow and the Nexus 6P/Nexus 5X device combination. With the latest update, Google Search can now help users with right information by just selecting the text on the screen and Google will offer its definition as well as links to any relevant apps.
We’re not sure that many people actually use Now on Tap – Google had to make a commercial to explain it – but that isn’t stopping the company from making it more powerful.
In addition to the text selection feature, Image Search is now possible from Now on Tap as well. For example you could be reading an article about an actress and want to know more about them.
It sounds great and certainly worked to some degree but one of the issues was that you relied on Google automatically recognising the word string you wanted to search, something which was a bit hit and miss. If you’re standing in front of the Bay Bridge, you can hold up your phone, open your camera app, touch and hold the home button, and get a helpful card with deep links to relevant apps.
If you have not used Google Now on Tap previously, but the latest updates have peaked your interest, here’s how to enable the feature.
But the cooler features are being able to go to your photos in any photo app on your Android device, including Google Photos and have Google figure out more information about that photo.
Advertisement
Additionally, Google will also provide real time contextual information by using the camera app.
