How To Use The Handwriting Feature On Android
If you have an Android, chances are you already installed Google’s handwriting input feature. However, it’s not exactly enabled by default, so setting it up might require some fiddling with your keyboard menu first. Before it was integrated into “Gboard,” Google’s built-in keyboard software, users had to download a separate app to utilize Android’s handwriting-to-text function. In 2017, Google eventually made some tweaks that enabled handwriting input on Gboard natively (viaAndroid Authority). While Gboard was slowly becoming just as capable as Google’s dedicated handwriting input app, it was still lacking in the supported language department.
However, Gboard’s version 8.3 update in 2019 gave it support for over 200 languages, rendering Google’s separate app essentially obsolete, according toAndroid Police. Sure, Android’s built-in keyboard is now capable of a more comprehensive handwriting-to-text experience on its own, but what didn’t change is the convenience of enabling it. As before, Android users still had to visit a couple of menus in Gboard’s settings instead of using a single toggle on the keyboard itself. Fortunately, the steps are not as complicated once you get past the initial set-up phase.
How to set up Android’s built-in handwriting feature
First of all, make sure yourGboard appis on its latest version. If not, you can download the update from the Google Play Store. Since Google’s handwriting-to-text keyboard is hidden within the Gboard app’s settings, you need to summon it by tapping on an empty text space. You only need to do the steps below once to enable the feature, but you can repeat the process as often as needed to add more languages. It’s worth noting, however, that not all languages have a handwriting keyboard option (viaGoogle).
To remove languages, you can follow these steps:
How to use Google handwriting keyboard to translate text to different languages
Gboard doesn’t just let you input text using your handwriting, it also lets you translate that text to different languages directly from its interface. This makes it possible to write texts, compose emails, or make social media posts (to name a few) in various languages. Take note that some of these steps require smartphones running on at leastAndroid 7.0to work, according toGoogle support. The procedure is quite similar to enable Google’s handwriting keyboard, but requires internet data to work. First, start Android’s handwriting to text input using the steps above, then tap on an empty text box to summon Gboard.
