This Google Pixel Feature Hidden In Plain Sight Is Its Most Convenient Tool

With so many Android updates and Pixel Drops, some Pixel UI features go under the radar unless you actively look for them. It turns out there is a handy, hidden tool built into the Pixel UI in the app switch window. Essentially, there is a "Select" button you can tap under an app that lets you split the interactable contents into parts or sections based on the current window; you can then choose any selectable section and copy and paste it into another app, or even choose parts to search on the web. Notably, this differs slightly from the built-in clipboard feature in Gboard (a default keyboard option on Pixel phones), which lets you copy anything, save it automatically to the clipboard, then paste it into another app after you've opened the clipboard section from your keyboard — though you definitely can use the Pixel "Select" feature to copy components and store them in your Pixel keyboard's clipboard.

Plus, it's convenient if you need a quick way to copy a text to input into another app, like Google Maps, to open directions. For example, if you learn someone's location in Google Messages, you can use that to open your recent app screen, tap the "Select" button beneath it, copy the text message, then paste it elsewhere (like Google Maps), all without opening the app you just copied from. In a way, it essentially gives you control over the contents you want to take without having to crop a screenshot to manage sensitive information.

You can use the "Select" feature in a few convenient ways to save a bit of time. One, you can use it to copy and paste on-screen text, or two, to share cool photos you find inside the app. When you open the app switcher, below the current app window, a "Select" option will show next to the "Screenshot" option. Choosing "Select" converts the app's elements into selectable items; long-tap any highlighted element to open the context menu, showing options such as "Copy," "Share," and "Search."

Note that not everything on that active app page will be selectable, such as some icons that have been coded into the app itself. But anything else that shows a light visual highlight over that section is fair game. Another restriction is that this option will only select what's shown in the app switcher window. For example, on a web page in the Chrome app, parts of the page are absent because they require scrolling down to see them. The app switcher window can only show you what's in the current view, which also means that only those displayed elements are interactable. If you require other selectable items from the same web page, you would need to switch to the Chrome app, scroll down some, then use the app switcher again with the "Select" option to highlight the new elements shown on-screen.