What you need to know
- Google Translate has popped up in the Recents screen on a build of Android Q which has not been released to the public.
- The feature is part of the Pixel Launcher and hints that more integration with more apps could happen in the future.
- It will most likely be a Pixel exclusive feature when it launches.
There will be six betas for Android Q before it is officially released. Beta 5 is currently the latest build that's available for public testing, but looking ahead, it appears there are some extra features that the public hasn't been privy too.
Not long ago, we covered a feature from a leaked build of Android Q that allowed you to control the sensitivity of the back gesture. Now, another feature from this build has been discovered which puts the power of Google Translate in the Recents screen.
First uncovered by the guys at 9to5Google, the previously unknown feature will display a "translate" button when one of your apps in the Recents screen contains text in a language other than the default one on your phone.
Tapping on the button will pop up a Google Translate window with the original text and a translation. The feature is reminiscent of Google Translate's Tap to Translate feature, except here it is using the OCR that was added in the Recents screen in Android Pie.
As you can see in the screenshots, the text wasn't translated perfectly, because the word "tweets" snuck in at the end. 9to5Google also points out that it didn't recognize the emojis in the Twitter handle and attempted to read them out as part of the name.
The new feature was determined to be part of the Pixel Launcher in what the app calls a "proactive suggestion". So far, Google Translate is the only app that is tied to this, but it is possible that more apps could be added to proactive suggestions in the future.
Considering the new feature is tied to the Pixel Launcher, we can assume it will be exclusive to Pixel phones, at least when it first launches. It is unknown whether or not we'll see this make it into the final beta for public testing. Google may or may not include it into the final version of Android Q, or it could just be saving it for a big reveal at the launch.
