- By Vikas Yadav
- Fri, 03 Nov 2023 11:58 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
California-based tech giant Google's popular Gboard app may soon get the option to extract text from images. The change is among the new updates tipped for an upcoming version of the keyboard app. According to 9To5Google, the tool will allow users of Gboard on Android to "Scan Text" via Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
The report of the news outlet outlined that the lines of code concerning these features were discovered in the decompilation procedure of the latest APK Insight post. However, a reader must note that the search giant may or may not add these features in the upcoming builds of Gboard.
On a positive note, the report shared screengrabs of the new option in the upcoming build. The feature could be placed next to the Proofread and Translate. It will require camera permission to function. Once enabled, a viewfinder shall appear in the bottom half of the smartphone screen to click pictures and extract texts from them.
Besides introducing new features, Google offers a wide range of customisation features in Gboard. (Image:Google Play Store)
"Take a photo of words to scan," the on-screen instruction of the feature read. Once done, Google will mark the text from the image, which you can adjust according to your needs. After you select a particular line of text, an "Insert" button pops up at the bottom to let users add them to their required text field.
You can repeat the process for subsequent selections of text. For context, a similar feature can be triggered via Google Lens. However, considering its audience, the feature is more suited for the keyboard. Once released, you may also be able to place the Scan Text feature within the shortcuts menu.
Considering the tech giant's technological prowess, the accuracy and quality will likely be on similar lines as the other offerings like Lens, the report added. This feature was discovered in the Gboard beta 13.6 version on Android. However, it has not been released for users of the app.