Google Now on Tap continues to evolve and the latest update to the contextual information feature has had a new feature added: Screen sharing. The update comes courtesy of an update to the Google Search app for Android, taking that app (and the engine behind Now on Tap) to version 5.7.14.19 for those keeping score at home. That build and this feature is specifically designed for Android Marshmallow so if that hasn’t hit your phone or tablet yet, you won’t see the feature.
Essentially what this update does it take a screen capture of whatever you are viewing on your screen. While you can capture your screen using the combination of the Power+Volume Down key, having this just a couple of screen taps away will make it easier and faster for many users. It has been in beta for a week or so now and there have been several posts that it is coming but now it has rolled out to the Google Play Store and is widely available.
To use this new feature, go to the screen or app that you are wanting to take a capture of on your Android phone or tablet. Now tap and hold the Home button to bring up Now on Tap like you
Google Now On Tap Sharing
would normally. At the bottom of the display you will see the Google “G” logo and next to it on the left a Share icon. Tap that share icon and Now on Tap disappears and a screen capture is made of whatever is in the background – your Home screen, an app, etc. In fact, in my testing, I did not find any app that this would not work.
After the capture is made, you will see the familiar Share option shelf come up at the bottom of the display. From here you can share it with your Google Drive, a social network like Facebook or Tumblr or email it to someone.
If there is one disappointment in this new feature of Now on Tap it is that it is only available to those running Marshmallow. With a still small percentage of users out there running the latest version of Android, it will be some time for the majority of users can access this handy feature.
