Clip Layer by Microsoft is an easy way to snip and share content from any Android screen

There is a ton of information we come across in applications, but not all of them natively support a share feature or allow users to copy content from the screen. This is where Microsoft Clip Layer steps in to help. It replaces the default assist app on your Android smartphone with the Clip Layer app, and automatically identifies snippets on the screen. These snippets can be copied, shared, saved to Wunderlist or emailed.[caption id="attachment_350604" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The Tasks menu of Clip Layer[/caption]By default, the Google app is the assist application on Android. This can be pulled up with a long press of the home button, to search for whatever is on the screen at that point of time. Users will have to go to settings to replace the default app, and choose between the convenience of Google Search, and Clip Layer from Microsoft.[caption id="attachment_350602" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Selecting Clip Layer as the default assist app.[/caption]Microsoft automatically identifies snippets based on what is on the screen. There is a black block drawn around each snippet, which can be selected to execute further actions on. One of the uses of Clip Layer is that it does not require users to drag and select text on the screen. The blocks of text are automatically identified, and the entire text can be selected on one tap. Multiple snippets can be selected at a time. The T button on the top right shows the copied content.[caption id="attachment_350599" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Microsoft Clip Layer identifying snippets on the Narendra Modi App, BookMyShow and the Tech2 website. Identifying snippets is a hit and miss affair.[/caption]If a block of text extends beyond the screenshot area, the copied text still contains all the text in the block, even from the portions extending beyond the current screen. We tried out Clip Layer in a number of different applications. At times, it identifies snippets perfectly, but fails horribly at other times, with a multitude of overlapping snippets. Clip Layer working perfectly is very much a hit and miss affair. Games is one of the places where Clip Layer would have been most useful, but it is less likely to work in games.[caption id="attachment_350598" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Clip Layer is less likely to work in games.[/caption]Clip Layer is a project developed at Microsoft Garage, a platform to push out experimental side projects of Microsoft employees. Clip Layer was created by Steve Won, a Senior Designer at the Microsoft Office team. Won said, "Like a lot of people, my phone is the center of my life. I like to share what I’ve seen and I noticed a couple of problems unique to consuming on a smartphone." This is the second app Won has released through Microsoft Garage, the first being the hub keyboard.Microsoft Clip Layer is free and available on the Play Store. The application is meant only for Android devices.