Google Now on Tap Brings Language Translation Into Apps

Heads up for those of you with a device running Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Google on Wednesday introduced some new Now on Tap capabilities, letting you easily translate text inside apps, quickly discover more about what's on your screen, and learn about products by using QR and bar codes in Search by Image. For the uninitiated, Now on Tap offers up potentially useful information about what's on your screen when you touch and hold your device's home button.

With this update, you can now take advantage of Google's translation service regardless of whether you're in an app or a webpage. To try it out, just long-press the home button and tap the "Translate this screen" option. Google will then translate any text on the screen into your phone's language.

"So if you're using Google Maps and come across a location or a restaurant review in a foreign language, just long-press the home button and continue reading," Google Product Manager Aneto Okonkwo wrote in a blog post. "You'll even be able to translate multiple languages at once.

Meanwhile, the next time you have something up on your screen you want to know more about, just tap the "Discover" icon for a stream of related content, including links, YouTube videos, and news articles. "It's perfect for browsing and exploring, rather than searching for something in particular," Okonkwo wrote.

Finally, thanks to this update, Now on Tap plays nice with QR codes and barcodes. Just point your camera at the barcode for user reviews and other "helpful cards" related to that object. Try it on packaged goods, books, DVDs, and more.

This latest update comes after Google just last month beefed up Now on Tap with text select and image search capabilities.