Google Search by Handwriting on Screen

Google Search by Handwriting on Screen

Google recently released a new feature for mobile browsers, which let’s you write on the screen to search for something, instead of typing! if you use a smartphone to search Google, you’ll understand the frustrations of sometimes mistyping your search query and having to backspace to delete and type again. So basically what happens is when you launch Google in your mobile browser, and have the new handwriting feature active, the virtual keyboard won’t pop up like before; you simply begin typing anywhere on the screen and Google will (try) to interpret your scribbles and enter it into the search field for you.

The search by handwriting feature is not active by default though, so no need to stare blankly at your mobile browser wondering where it is. You can activate the new handwriting search feature for Google by:

1. Launching your mobile browser and visiting the Google homepage,
2. Click ‘settings’ at the bottom, and enable ‘handwrite’,
3. Save.

Now when you go back to the Google homepage, chances are you won’t see anything new or different, but all your need to do is refresh the page and voila! You should now see the new search Google by handwriting feature on your screen.

I just tried this new feature on my Samsung Galaxy Note. It’s ok, but I find the handwriting recognition is a bit slow, and there seems to be a bit of a delay from when I write something on the screen and it actually showing on the screen.. I also write pretty fast, and when I noticed my handwriting wasn’t showing as quickly (or even close to as quickly) as I was writing, it kind of distracted me and caused me to slow down, which then resulted in errors. It was a bit frustrating, but I’m sure if you start using the new search google by handwriting feature, it will become easier to use.

To read the official Google Blog entry about this new feature, click here.