Google has reportedly started rolling out two new features to Gboard – image support in clipboard and Google Lens. The features are said to be rolling out widely on both stable and beta versions of the virtual keyboard.
With image support in the clipboard, you can copy images and paste them on any supported fields you desire. The trickiest part lies in copying the image. While Google Chrome (v84) has started to support copying images on Android, you might not be seeing the option in other apps.
However, that changes with Android 11. As Android Police points out, you can copy images from the Recents screen by simply tapping and holding them and choosing ‘Copy’.
Now that you have managed to copy the image, you’re in for more bad news. As reported by XDA in January, the pasting capability is limited to 21 apps. The apps include AOSP messaging, WhatsApp, Facebook, Viber, Line, OK, WeChat, Messenger Lite, Snapchat, Motorola Messages, Google Messages, VK, Skype, imo, Samsung Messages, Zalo, Google Docs, Twitter, Badoo, Hangouts, and Helo. In my testing, I found it to work with Telegram as well.
Another change is the availability of Google Lens. Google has removed Google Search functionality in Gboard in favor of Google Lens. Although there will be a small group of people now complaining because Google is removing their beloved inline Search functionality from Gboard, the presence of Google Lens is arguably better and more practical in real-world scenarios.
Both image pasting and Google Lens integration are available on my device right now. If you’re not seeing it, you should try updating the app to the latest version available on the Play Store.
