In the Android days of yore, you may remember that you could ask Google Assistant “what’s on my screen?” before this feature vanished into the mist. Now, it seems that Google is working on giving it a second life in a new Android section it’s working on.
What’s Going On With “What’s On My Screen?”
The return of this handy feature was spotted by XDA Developers during its usual APK teardown. This is where the website cracks open the code of Google’s Android APK and looks at all the interesting things hidden away in the code.
Sometimes, these APK teardowns reveal preparation work for a future feature. This was the case this time round, after the website discovered evidence that Google is working on bringing “what’s on my screen?” back from its digital grave.
If you missed the command when it was first around, “what’s on my screen” was a handy way to get more info on what you were seeing. For instance, it could search up famous people in an article, or tell you more details of a song that was currently playing.
Of course, the APK teardown should be taken with a grain of salt. Developers add code all the time for potential future features, but it’s not a guarantee that it’ll come to light. This goes double for the “what’s on my screen” command, which Google seems to add and remove from Android as it pleases.
Regardless, something interesting happened in the latest update. Right now, Google is working on a “my actions” section for Android. This will allow you to save commands you use a lot for later use, so you don’t need to keep saying them every time you want them to fire.
This update adds a new section to the new “my actions” window, and it’s called—you guessed it—”on my screen.” The section is still under construction, because nothing is on it and it uses a placeholder green color for the time being. However, it’s highly likely that this section will replicate the “what’s on my screen” command without you needing to say a word.
Because this was an APK delve, there is no official estimate on when—or if—this feature will release. However, if Google sticks to its guns, we may finally get this handy feature back and better than ever.
A Handy Feature, Hopefully on Everyone’s Screens Soon
The “what’s on my screen” command pops in and out of Android without much warning from Google. However, the tech giant is toying with the idea of making it a command you can invoke at any time without speaking. Let’s hope it stays that way.
Speaking of handy Google Assistant commands, did you know you can use it to lock and unlock your phone? Once your Google Assistant can recognize your voice from everyone else’s, you can use it to open up your phone with a verbal command.
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