Google, the prominent global tech company, has consistently evolved and provided numerous updates across its various platforms under its parent company. Recent examples of these updates from the past month include the introduction of emoji reactions in Gmail in early October and the Google Play Games Beta update later in the same month. Presently, Google is preparing to introduce a forthcoming scan text feature in Gboard, aimed at enhancing text extraction from images for Android users using the application.
What Is This Scan Text Feature in Gboard All About?
The introduction of this new scan text feature in Gboard aims to provide users with a user-friendly method for extracting text from images. As highlighted in a thorough examination of the APK by 9to5Google, the company is currently in the stages of creating this ‘Scan text’ feature in Gboard within its most recent 13.6 beta release.
This latest feature employs Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to extract text from pictures captured with the phone’s camera, enabling users to paste it in their preferred locations. The functionality operates much like the Google Lens app, which can identify text characters within images.
Based on a recent report by 9to5Google, the new feature will be integrated into the existing “Translate” and “Proofread” toggles. When users activate this option, a viewfinder will appear in the lower part of the screen, giving them the choice to pick a previously captured image or capture a new one. However, it requires users to grant Gboard permission to access the device’s camera.
Also Read: Google to Combine Generative AI Chatbot with Virtual Assistant
How Does This Scan Text Feature in Gboard Work?
Users will encounter a “Capture text from an image” prompt positioned just above the camera icon. A single tap on this prompt will allow Gboard to highlight a single line of text, with the ability to adjust the selected text length.
Once the text is highlighted, a second pop-up will appear at the bottom of the camera screen, showing the selected text and providing an “Insert” button. Highlight the text you need, and voila! In applications like Google Messages, the text will be pasted at the location of your cursor. If you wish to input additional text, the “Scan text” feature will remain active.
Although the feature appears to be uncomplicated and provides a more streamlined experience than launching Google Lens, it may entail a split-screen viewfinder, which has the potential to be distracting for certain users.
Additionally, according to 9to5Google, when you use “Scan text” to capture an image, the image is not saved on your device or any other location. It seems to be a transient interaction, and once you’ve copied all the text you need, the image disappears. This feature initially debuted on the web version of Google Photos before being extended to various other devices and Google products at a later time.
Also Read: Is Google’s New and Upcoming Gemini AI a Worthy Contender to OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4?
Some Thoughts on This Scan Text Feature in Gboard
From the above-explained scan text feature in Gboard, this upcoming feature in Gboard signifies the incorporation of visual recognition technology into daily mobile tasks, enhancing the functionality of Google Gboard for Android users.
The introduction of this feature has the potential to save a considerable amount of time typically spent on re-typing content or switching between Lens and other applications to utilise OCR capabilities. Even Pixel users, who already have OCR support within the multitasking view, may find this feature handy. For those who frequently require OCR tools, scan text offers convenience.
However, for most users, using Google Lens for such tasks remains a viable option. It’s worth noting that the scan text feature is currently accessible through flags in Gboard v13.6 beta, which can be downloaded from APKMirror. We eagerly await a future beta release when testers will be able to access this feature and address any issues before the official release. Besides, the precision of Gboard’s integrated text scanning should adhere closely to the benchmarks set by other Google products that employ comparable technology.
In fact, this latest update on the scan text feature in Gboard is not the first this year, but in recent months, Google has introduced several fresh features to Gboard. One of them includes a resizing feature that enables users to customise the keyboard’s height and a split keyboard interface. Besides, as mentioned above, this feature isn’t fresh if users have already tried the Google Lens, as Gboard is now adopting a feature that Google Lens already possesses, albeit with a few added benefits. However, while it may seem mundane to have similar features across different updates, Google always have innovative techniques to differentiate them.
Also Read: AI Risk Must Be Treated as Seriously as Climate Crisis, Says Google Deepmind Chief
A Short Closing
Google remains committed to delivering regular updates across its platforms to enhance user experience and convenience. This commitment extends to the forthcoming scan text feature in Gboard, which promises a straightforward and user-friendly implementation, providing an efficient way to utilise OCR technology for text extraction within a keyboard application. That concludes our update on this valuable scan text feature in Gboard, and we eagerly anticipate future enhancements that will benefit Google users. We‘ll share these updates as soon as we have the information.