Gemini to Get a User-Friendly Upgrade: Easier Text Selection and Sharing

Google is rolling out a usability enhancement for its Gemini AI chatbot that promises to streamline how users select and share text responses. This update addresses a common pain point, making it significantly easier to extract and share valuable insights or humorous AI-generated content. Why is this important? Because simplifying the sharing process encourages users to engage more deeply with AI and share its output more readily, potentially boosting adoption and usage.

Currently, sharing text from Gemini involves a multi-step process: long-pressing or tapping the three-dot menu, selecting "Select text," and then dragging to highlight the desired portion. According to reports from Android Authority and other sources, the new method will allow users to simply long-press and drag to select text directly, bypassing several steps.

This enhancement was discovered in the Google app beta (version 16.20.48.sa.arm64) through an APK teardown, indicating an imminent release. While APK teardowns aren't guarantees of future features, they offer strong hints about Google's development plans. "This innovation brings the copying process closer to the standard mechanism for working with web pages", notes Vlad Cherevko.

However, there's a catch. The streamlined selection process may not work seamlessly with bulleted or numbered lists. Users might have to select list entries individually, at least in the initial implementation. This limitation could be a minor inconvenience for users dealing with structured information, but Google is expected to address this flaw before the official release.

The core goal is to provide a more intuitive and efficient way to interact with Gemini's text responses. Whether you want to share a spot-on answer or a hilariously absurd one, the process should be as simple as possible. While the current workflow requires multiple taps and navigation, this update aims to reduce friction and make sharing effortless.

The improved text selection could have another impact: encourage people to experiment further with Gemini, even with the occasional imperfections. The article highlights that while the AI is not 100% accurate, its output is almost always interesting. Having an easier way to share those interesting results may also encourage more users to put the application through its paces.

This usability tweak reflects Google's ongoing commitment to refining the user experience of its AI offerings. By removing friction from everyday tasks like text selection, Google aims to make AI more accessible and integrated into users' daily routines. What do you think of this update? Will it significantly improve your Gemini experience? Share your thoughts and expectations in the comments below!

• APK teardown
• Gemini
• Google AI