You’d by no means realize it, however probably the most potential-packed elements of your favourite Android telephone is a characteristic you not often really see.It’s principally invisible by design, in truth — and but, if you happen to train your self learn how to faucet into it, you will save time, improve your effectivity, and really feel like a complete smartphone sorcerer.The characteristic of which we converse is the humble-seeming Android clipboard — the straightforward digital area the place something you copy stays tucked away out of sight ’til you are prepared to make use of it.If you have not spent a lot time fascinated by the Android clipboard, imagine me: You aren’t alone. But my goodness, are you ever lacking out.So permit me to introduce you to a number of the most superior and simply ignored productiveness boosters hiding away in your telephone’s invisible holding area. Copy these methods into your noggin, and earlier than it, you will be slashing all kinds of wasted seconds out of your day.[Psst: Love shortcuts? My Android Shortcut Supercourse will teach you tons of time-saving tricks for your phone. Sign up now for free!] Android clipboard trick No. 1: The fast on-screen copyFirst up is a characteristic particular to Google’s personal totally featured Android software program, as seen on its self-made Pixel telephones (and if you happen to do not personal a Pixel, don’t fret: Almost the entire ideas after it will work on nearly any Android machine!).So Pixel palmers, take word: Anytime you are in your telephone’s Overview display screen, you may copy any textual content from any app thumbnail, proper then and there — no matter whether or not it is the kind of textual content you’d usually consider being copy-friendly or not.
First, make your manner into your Pixel’s Overview space — both by swiping up and holding from the underside of your display screen with the present Android gestures system or by tapping the square-shaped button on the backside of the display screen, if you happen to’re nonetheless utilizing the outdated legacy three-button nav setup.
Next, press and maintain your finger onto the textual content you need inside any Overview thumbnail — or, if you happen to’d reasonably, faucet the “Select” choice on the backside of the display screen to have your Pixel choose all obtainable textual content after which slim it down as wanted.
Once you have bought any textual content chosen, faucet “Copy” within the pop-up menu that seems.
JRAnd that is it: The textual content you chose will now be in your system clipboard and prepared for quick pasting wherever you need it.All comfort apart, what’s particularly cool about this trick is that it permits you to copy textual content from issues like system menus and even textual content from inside photos in a thumbnail, the place such actions would not normally be potential.Speaking of which…Android clipboard trick No. 2: The picture textual content copyNo matter what sort of telephone you are utilizing, you may snag textual content out of any picture — be it a screenshot, a photograph of a doc or whiteboard from the actual world, or perhaps a snapshot of a turtle with a top-secret message scrawled onto its shell — just by opening up the Google Photos app.
Once you are in Photos, discover the picture you need to copy from — both in the primary Photos tab or within the app’s Library space, if it is a screenshot or one thing you have downloaded.
Open up the picture and faucet the “Lens” choice alongside its decrease edge.
Select “Text” from the menu that comes up, then use your finger to spotlight the particular portion of textual content you need.
JRAt that time, you may both faucet “Copy text” to carry the textual content onto your Android clipboard for future pasting — or you may faucet “Copy to computer” to repeat the textual content straight onto a linked pc’s clipboard for pasting wherever on that entrance. (It most likely goes with out saying, however you will must have a pc the place you are actively signed into the identical Google account in Chrome to ensure that that choice to look.)And whereas we’re fascinated by Lens…Android clipboard trick No. 3: The real-world textual content copyGoogle Lens is one among Android’s most underappreciated superpowers. In addition to its integration in Photos, Lens can really search for textual content proper in entrance of your face after which copy it onto your clipboard, straight from the actual world.
If you have bought a Pixel, hearth up your digicam and search for the “Modes” choice within the sliding menu on the backside of the display screen, then faucet “Lens” from there.
With another form of Android machine, obtain the standalone Lens app after which open it out of your app drawer.
Either manner you get there, as soon as Lens is open, simply faucet the “Text” choice on the backside of its important display screen after which level your telephone at something with textual content on it.
Press and maintain your finger on any textual content in your view and search for those self same “Copy text” and “Copy to computer” choices.
JRPretty spiffy, would not ya say? Android clipboard trick No. 4: The swift clipboard shareSo far, we have thought of fancy methods to get textual content onto your Android telephone’s clipboard. Now it is time to begin fascinated by all of the issues you are able to do with that textual content as soon as it is current.Up first: In addition to the helpful “Copy to computer” choice constructed into Lens, Android’s bought a easy system for sending textual content straight out of your clipboard to another Android machine or Chromebook in your space with a pair fast faucets.It’s a freshly rolled-out characteristic for the present Android 13 model, so you will have to be operating that software program with a view to use it.Provided you have bought Android 13 in your machine:
Copy textual content from wherever in your telephone.
Look for the little pop-up that seems within the lower-left nook of your display screen instantly after you copy. (Note: Samsung for some motive did not embody this factor in its model of Android 13. Sorry, Galaxy buddies!)
Tap the little icon inside that pop-up that appears like a pc with a telephone inside it, then decide from any appropriate machine within the space to share the textual content you copied.
JRAnd if you do not have Android 13 otherwise you want a simple technique to share textual content with other forms of computer systems, worry not — ‘trigger our subsequent clipboard trick is strictly what the geek-doctor ordered.Android clipboard trick No. 5: The common linked clipboardThe Android 13 clipboard sharing setup is sweet and all, however there’s an much more versatile technique to join the clipboard out of your Android telephone to the clipboard on any form of pc you are utilizing.The secret is a intelligent little app known as Clipt.
All you have gotta do is set up Clipt in your telephone after which set up the companion Chrome extension on no matter pc you are utilizing — Windows, Mac, Linux, you identify it.
Sign into the identical account in each locations, and increase: Anything you copy from wherever in your pc will instantly be inside your Android telephone’s clipboard and able to paste.
You can ship textual content from Android to your pc, too, although one additional step is required — because of some system safety measures inside Android in that space.
This is one among my all-time favourite Android hacks. You can learn all in regards to the ins and outs of the setup and learn how to profit from it on this separate information.Android clipboard trick No. 6: The clipboard-keyboard connectionThe trick we simply went over is ok and dandy for sharing stuff out of your clipboard to different environments — however what about if you need to discover textual content you have copied proper inside Android?The quickest technique to entry your system clipboard in your telephone is through Google’s wonderful Gboard keyboard.If you are not already utilizing Gboard, set up the app and set it up — then:
Open Gboard by tapping in any clean textual content area wherever in your telephone.
If you see a clipboard icon on the keyboard’s high row, faucet it. If you do not see any such icon, faucet the three-dot menu icon inside that very same space after which faucet the clipboard icon on the panel that comes up.
Make positive the tiny toggle within the upper-right nook of the Gboard clipboard interface is within the on place — with the swap pushed over towards the suitable. If it is not, faucet it to show it on, then observe any prompts that seem to grant the permissions it must function.
Now, another little bit of one-time setup earlier than we get this present a-goin’:
Open up the total Gboard settings menu by tapping the three-dot menu icon within the keyboard’s high row after which choosing “Settings” from the panel that pops up.
Tap “Clipboard.”
Make positive the entire choices that seem on the subsequent display screen are activated and within the on place.
Elicit the tiniest yip of satisfaction and/or do a pleasant little arm-flapping dance in your chair.
With all of that out of the way in which, you will begin seeing two useful clipboard-related additions:
Anytime you copy textual content from wherever on Android, it will routinely seem as a one-tap suggestion inside Gboard’s high row at any time when the keyboard’s subsequent open. You can faucet it to insert the textual content into any textual content area, wherever in your telephone.
You may also pull up the latest bits of textual content and even photos you have copied from wherever by tapping that clipboard icon in Gboard’s high row (or inside its three-dot menu space, if you do not have it in a top-row place).
JRAnd one other trick value surfacing in that very same Gboard clipboard interface…Android clipboard trick No. 7: Your clipboard save-boardYou can really save vital gadgets inside your Android clipboard space after which pull ’em up anytime, wherever for simple ongoing entry.It’s an effective way to maintain generally used textual content snippets or possibly even screenshots at your beck ‘n’ name and obtainable for fast pasting everytime you want ’em.And it could not be a lot simpler to arrange:
Open up Gboard once more and faucet that very same clipboard icon we have been simply talkin’ about.
Press and maintain your finger onto any merchandise you have copied lately — textual content, picture, you identify it — then search for the “Pin” choice that pops up. (And if you happen to do not see any lately copied gadgets there, by golly, go copy one thing!)
Tap “Pin,” then scroll down within the Gboard clipboard view to seek out your merchandise there and ready.
JRYou can pin a number of bits o’ textual content and/or photos into that space, and all it takes is a single faucet of your sticky fingie insert any pinned merchandise in any textual content area you have bought open.And lastly…Android clipboard trick No. 8: Image paste magicWhen we take into consideration our telephone’s clipboards, most of us are inclined to deal with textual content. But it is value emphasizing: You can copy photos onto your Android clipboard, too, after which paste ’em straight into a number of completely different locations.Try this:
Open up an internet web page in Chrome — any random internet web page (although I extremely suggest one with images of bespectacled monkeys).
Press and maintain your finger onto a picture inside the web page and choose “Copy image” from the menu that comes up.
Now, go begin a brand new e mail inside Gmail or open a thread inside the Android Messages app.
Press and maintain your finger onto the open textual content area and faucet the “Paste” choice that seems — or, if you happen to’d reasonably, pull up that Gboard clipboard interface and search for your lately copied picture there to faucet it.
And hey, how ’bout that?! JRWhatever picture you copied will immediately be inserted into your message, with none additional effort required.Not dangerous for an space of Android that is nearly all the time out of sight, eh?Get much more superior shortcut data with my free Android Shortcut Supercourse. You’ll be taught tons of time-saving methods in your telephone!
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