Google Now on Tap update makes it even easier to translate text

A new update to Google Now on Tap is bringing three useful new functions

(Google)

Google’s Now on Tap service is about to get even more useful with a new update that brings almost instant translation to mobile users.

Google Now on Tap was one of the biggest features on Android Marshmallow when it was launched last year. By holding down their phone’s home button, users can quickly access more information on what they’re looking at without having to leave the app they’re in.

Since its initial launch, Google has been adding more functions to Google Now on Tap and the latest update brings three new features that make it even more useful as a service.

The most significant new feature is one that allows you to quickly and easily translate any on-screen text. Whether you’re reading a webpage, skimming through a document, or scouring Google Maps for a fancy new restaurant, if you come across a language you don’t understand you simply have to hold down the home button and tap the “Translate this screen card” to translate it into your phone’s default language.

Google says the feature will be able to recognise and translate more than one language at once and is currently available on phones whose default language is set to English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian.

The updated Now on Tap will also bring a new way to discover interesting content with the appropriately named Discover Mode. By tapping the Discover icon, you’ll pull up a stream of content like YouTube videos and articles that are related to what you were already looking at.

The final new feature improves Now on Tap’s visual search function. By using Now on Tap you could already use your phone’s camera to recognise things like famous landmarks and access more information on them but now that’s being expanded to include barcodes and QR codes.

This means that if you’re ever out shopping and you see something you’d like you can scan the barcode using your phone’s camera and access related information such as user reviews. This doesn’t pull up any quick buy options, though, it just gives you access to more information.