Google introduces Handwrite Search, we give it a thorough work out

Google introduces Handwrite Search, we give it a thorough work out
Not quite enough room for the longest word we know - luckily you can do it in parts

Now you can physically write your search queries on to Google using your touchscreen iOS or Android device.

Apparently this is more convenient than typing it into the little box using actual letters on an actual keyboard.

To activate it, you'll need to go to Google.com in your mobile browser, hit settings and enable handwriting search. Then it's just a case of refreshing the page then tapping the little 'g' in the bottom right hand corner of the screen to get searching.

We gave it a thorough going over, as we hope you have come to expect from TechRadar. It was a little slow to recognise writing over 3G but very nippy over some robust Wi-Fi.

First of all, we tried a spot of cursive (because we were brought up well, you know):

bears

Verdict: close, but no cigar.

Then we tried capitals:

tech

Success!

After that, we rocked out the left-hand (your humble writer is a rightie):

Google

Success!

Next up: upside down writing:

iPhone

What, what? Success!

Now we'll concede that we're actually pretty excellent at writing both upside down and with the wrong hand, but so we may have been at an advantage.

But finally we tried TechRadar in normal handwriting diagonally across the screen, as Google promises that we should be able to "write anywhere" on the screen.

techradar

Oh dear.

In conclusion, always write upside down with the wrong hand in cursive and you'll be fine.

News Editor (UK)

Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.