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Why is text selection such a broken mess on so many websites? Why does this have to be such a hassle?? (lemmy.ca)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca to c/android@lemdro.id
53 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Using Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Samsungs 'Internet' app, and every other browser I've used/tried on Android:

I'll go to select some text on a page by long-pressing on it and it'll select the word I'm touching as well as expand that selection to a somewhat random amount of additional text (usually not following any structure such as selecting a whole sentence for example).

I'll then go to adjust that selection by grabbing one of the two tabs on either end of it and the moment I do, the opposite tab jumps to a completely random spot on the page vastly expanding the selection, then the whole page scrolls to an entirely different section; Leaving me holding one end of the selection unable to see what was originally selected. I can't scroll to where I was, and If I let go and just click copy I've now copied 90%of the page to my clipboard.... Attempting to modify the selection any further yields the same lack of control and just makes things worse.

This doesn't happen everywhere, but I get these results far far more often than a successful copy+paste. Like just now trying to copy an address from a local transit guide.

I end up having to drop the paste into a notepad app, reselect the bit I actually wanted (if it even made it into the pile of garbage I was forced to grab) then delete the note once I'm done.

This is fucking stupid and I hate it. Rant over. Thank you for listening.

/edit: I don't have the power to pin a comment, but d3Xt3r@lemmy.world has a great solution: Use the rectangle select tool in androids 'Edge Panel' (must be enabled in settings), then press the 'T' button to copy text from the area you've selected.

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[-] LostDeer@infosec.pub 28 points 1 year ago

I think it’s a pixel thing, but I get around this by going into the app background thing then press “select” so the phone can treat the screen as an image with text and just list out the text without any website or browser shenanigans interfering.

[-] can@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago

Samsung had something similar.

[-] d3Xt3r@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

Yep, just use the rectangular selection from the edge panel and you can save it as a screenshot or extract the text.

[-] Bebo@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago

Just to confirm, this edge panel function is Samsung feature, right?

[-] Blamemeta@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

How do i do this? I have an android

[-] StorageAware@lemmings.world 1 points 1 year ago

Only some brands have this. You could try looking for an OCR app but it might have privacy implications depending on which you choose.

[-] Lt_Worf@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 year ago

This is an awesome tip!

this post was submitted on 30 Aug 2023
247 points (100.0% liked)

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