Google is developing new features for Android which include improvements to copying text and gestures, according to a new report out of Venture Beat which in turn, credits an unnamed source for the information. According to the details, although Google is said to be currently working on these advanced improvements to copying and gestures, there is no guarantee that they will be present in the next version of Android, which is expected to be introduced during Google I/O in May of this year.
In terms of the first of these features, the report explains that Google is specifically looking at ways for apps to better interpret and use information and links within other apps. One example provided on this, is what is currently being discussed as ‘Copy Less’. As the name suggests, the idea here is to drastically reduce the need for copy and pasting. Instead, apps will be able to better understand content you are looking at in one app and somewhat anticipate the information you will want to paste in another app. As an example, the ability for a keyboard (or messenger) app to understand you have looked at a destination, retailer, or restaurant, in another app, and once you start typing a relative precursor, (i.e. “we should go”) the keyboard or messenger app will understand the association and offer the name of the place as part of its predictive options. Likewise, another text-related improvement being noted in this report, is for content to be better optimized for connecting apps. So for instance, when receiving an address, the ability for that address to appear as a link and be able to be opened in Google Maps. While this sort of feature is already available in some capacity, it is believed Google is working on making the feature more universal and useful.
Moving on the gesture side of things and it seems Google is looking for an improved ability to make use of gestures on the main screen. Few details are provided on this, but the general understanding is that new finger gestures will be available which offer a much wider activation of features across the Android operating system. One example provided being the ability to draw C with your finger and immediately see a list of contacts. As mentioned, at the moment there are no firm details on these new features, when they will be available, or even if, they will ever be available – let alone in the next version of Android. However, the main point coming from the information is that these more intelligent features is what Google is currently working towards and presumably, where Google sees Android going in the near and long term futures.