Android search superpowers

And a sanity-saving search switch  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Android Intelligence](#) [Android Intelligence](#) Brought to you by: [HubSpot logo](​ Riddle me this: Is there anything more integral to our online experiences than the simple-seeming act of search? I've been thinking about that question an awful lot this week. (Yes, I really am that cool. Please try to withhold your awe and envy.) All philosophical pondering aside, Google's on the brink of introducing a serious shake-up to the way it serves us information in search. And I'm not so sure it's a good thing. I'll explain why in this week's Things to Know — but why stop there? In our Things to Try, I'll show you an incredible search improvement you can put to use this very minute and remind you about an awesome phone-specific search upgrade you can implement on your favorite Android gizmo. Let the games begin! 🗳️ First, cast your vote: [Which search service do you use most often?](​ [JR Raphael, Author] JR Today's read: ⌚ 3 Things to Know: 1 minute 30 seconds ⌚ 3 Things to Try: 1 minute ⌚ Just for Funsies: 20 seconds ​ [] [3 Things to Know This Week] 1. Your phone could soon see a hefty stamina boost ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Google's got a major under-the-hood change in the works for Android that could help devices last as much as three hours longer with each charge. 🔎 KNOW MORE: The change is an improvement to the way Android works when you aren't actively using it — and, specifically, how quickly the software puts a device into its power-saving deep-sleep mode. - With that deep sleep state, officially known as doze mode, the system groups non-essential background tasks together and performs 'em periodically to limit the amount of power required. - And with Android 15, devices will enter that mode 50% faster than they do right now. - Google's VP of Android engineering says they've seen an extra three hours of standby battery life on devices they've tested with the improvement in place. 📌 READ MORE: [Explore the incoming change for yourself](=) to wrap your head around exactly how it works. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Circle to Search is about to get even more powerful ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: My favorite Android feature of 2024 so far is without a doubt Circle to Search, which makes it easy to interact with and get extra context about any text or image on your screen — and a trio of under-development features should make it even more useful yet. 🔎 KNOW MORE: Some crafty code-crawlers spotted signs of the new features deep within the latest Google Android app beta version. - The first new feature is an integrated system for saving and sharing any screenshots you capture with Circle to Search without having to rely on Photos. - The second is a one-tap button to select all the visible text on your screen, whether it's typically selectable or not. - And the third is a built-in command for listening to any text on your screen and having Circle to Search read it aloud on the spot. 📌 READ MORE: [Take a peek at the new features]() — and while you wait, refresh yourself on [some already-available Circle to Search magic](). 💡 DIVE DEEPER: If you're on a phone that doesn't yet have the system, don't forget: You can still [access much of the same goodness in a roundabout way](=). --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Gemini is the new Google+ ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: I had a slightly wild realization this week, and it adds so much context into Google's current AI obsession: What we're seeing with the Gemini chatbot right now is almost exactly what we saw play out with Google+ 13 years ago. And, suffice it to say, this isn't a positive comparison. 🔎 KNOW MORE: The parallels are really quite striking, once you stop and think about it. And they really explain a lot. - Just like G+, Gemini has become a new religion of sorts within the company — a "this defines us and everything we do from this moment forward" pivot. - And just like G+, Gemini is less of an answer to an existing problem and more of a solution in search of a problem to solve. - More than anything, Gemini is being shoehorned into places where it doesn't belong and where its presence is arguably more of a minus for us as users — something that seems especially true for the system's soon-to-be outsized presence in search. 📌 READ MORE: Join me on my soapbox to [explore this analogy in detail](=)and think through the side of Gemini Google doesn't want to emphasize​. SPONSORED MESSAGE 100 productivity-enhancing ChatGPT prompts for work 💪 [Cartoon throwing hands in the air happily with words "Time to be productive!"](​ While we can’t guarantee that the [free guide: How to Use ChatGPT at Work]( will earn you a promotion… It will help you automate mundane tasks, skyrocket productivity, and produce higher-quality work! Which means, at the very least, you will impress all your colleagues. Created by HubSpot (the folks behind The Hustle newsletter, read by 1.5+ million), this ~free~ course includes: 🧠The what’s, why’s, and how’s of ChatGPT’s capabilities ✂️ [100 copy ‘n’ paste ChatGPT prompts]( you can use today ⚙️ Automations for email, content creation, customer support, and data analysis Ready to save yourself time and impress all your coworkers? ➜ [Download the free ChatGPT guide and start implementing AI into your workflows today!]( [ACCESS 100 TIME-SAVING CHATGPT PROMPTS ➜]( ​ [] [3 Things to Try This Week] 1. Set up a sanity-saving search switch It may or may not have hit you yet, but brace yourself: It's coming. As we speak, Google's in the midst of bringing its Gemini-powered AI obsession into its most prominent and powerful product — and that's search. Soon, anytime you search for something within Google, you'll get AI-powered "answers" in place of the familiar blue links. ➜ That's all well and good in theory, but unless you like your search results to be unreliable and littered with shoddily sourced inaccuracies, it isn't the most practical pivot. ⌚ But with about 60 seconds of effort, you can give yourself a simpler, smarter, and more efficient search setup that lets you find what you want from sources you trust without all the greasy AI gravy. 📌 I've got [all the steps you need to make it happen](), on your phone and on any kind of computer you might also be using. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Grant yourself Android search superpowers The web isn't the only place where a smarter search setup can save you time and make your life easier. What if your favorite Android phone had a streamlined spot for searching anything and everything imaginable, all at once — for finding not only stuff from the internet but also your apps, contacts, calendar events, notes, tasks, past searches, and even specific functions and areas within apps so you can fly exactly where you want in the blink of an eye? ➜ It's not only possible — it's also quite easy to make happen. ⌚ And it'll take you roughly two minutes to set up. 📌 [Ready to upgrade your efficiency?](=)​ --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Search the transcript of any YouTube video on Android In this week's Cool Tools tip, my comrade Chris from [Windows Intelligence]( shared some simple ways to [search a text transcript of any YouTube video]() on any device. ➜ Interestingly, though, the YouTube Android app has its very own function for doing the same thing — some of the time. ⌚ It's out of sight and about as buried as can be, but it'll only take you about 10 seconds to find it once you know where to look: - First, start playing any video within the YouTube app on your phone or tablet. - See the video's title, directly beneath the player box? Right under that, you should see a summary of the total views and the date the clip was published. - And right next to that should be an inconspicuous little link with the word "...more." [The YouTube Android app's "...more" link] ​ - Tap that word, then scroll down in the panel that pops up until you see a Show Transcript button. Smack that button, and you can then skim through the text of the entire video at your own pace. And with certain videos, the app will also offer up a search box to find a specific word or phrase you're looking for. 📌 If you ever encounter a video where the search function isn't available, [the tools Chris recommended]() will fill the void admirably. But now you know how to at the very least see the text from any video anytime, right within the regular YouTube Android app — and to search it right then and there sometimes, too. ​ SPONSORED MESSAGE = Next-generation video conferencing Introducing the all-new, stunning[Neat Bar 2](=), which delivers the highest quality audio and video to Microsoft Teams or Zoom. [DISCOVER NEAT BAR 2](=) [] [And Just for Funsies...] You've heard of Google's Chrome Dino game, right? It's a simple yet surprisingly addictive little diversion that comes up whenever you try to open something in Chrome without an active internet connection. (You can also bring it up anytime by typing chrome:dino into the Chrome address bar, both on Android and on the desktop.) Well, in honor of all of this month's Google AI announcements, El Googenschtein's giving us a specially upgraded AI-infused version of Dino to procrastinate and waste copious amounts of time explore the technological wonder of AI in some fun new ways. It's called Gen Dino. The game lets you lean on AI to create your own custom scenario — with any animal, obstacle, and environment you want. Naturally, I took that as a challenge to see how much absurdity I could work into the mix. [The Google Gen Dino game] ​ Mission...accomplished. There's just one asterisk: The Gen Dino game will be available only through this coming Tuesday, at 8 p.m. ET. Then Google will take it offline. 📌 Until then, though, you can [play it for free in any browser, on any device](=). Have at it — and if you come up with an especially amusing series of prompts, be sure to snag a screenshot and send it my way! Have yourself a wonderful weekend Hey, hope you enjoy the extended holiday weekend ahead, if you're here in the States and observing it. And either way, I'll see ya next week for the home stretch of May. Whew! Almost halfway through 2024 already — can you believe it?! 📊 Before we say farewell, a quick peek at last week's poll results: Forty-seven percent of you said you were cautiously intrigued but uncertain about Google's Gemini progress, while 24% said you weren't into Gemini at all and 17% said you were uninterested and indifferent. Only 11% of you said you were genuinely excited about Google's latest AI efforts. 🤚 Wait! Before you go: What'd you think of this issue? [Thumbs Up](=) [Thumbs Down]( Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down to cast your vote and let me know. Want less email? 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