Method to copy text from an email?

[elanning]

Greetings,

I may be missing something obvious, but is there a way to select and copy text from within an email? For example I just got a message sent to my gmail account with a friends new home address, but while I can read the email obviously, scrolling through the message I cant actually select any text within it to copy out his address and then paste it into my contacts.

Any tips?

Thanks.

 

[dkaufman1]

Nope...huge flaw. One I hope they are looking into!

 

[punkzanyj]

Greetings,

I may be missing something obvious, but is there a way to select and copy text from within an email? For example I just got a message sent to my gmail account with a friends new home address, but while I can read the email obviously, scrolling through the message I cant actually select any text within it to copy out his address and then paste it into my contacts.

Any tips?

Thanks.

Actually you can...

You just have to use the browser instead of the gmail app. Open your browser to mail.google.com. Open the email using the browser. When you've got the email open press the menu button then tap "more" then tap "select text".
You will then be able to use your finger to drag across the section you want to highlight(the highlight will be pink) and when you let go, the text is copied to the clipboard, so you can paste it where ever you need to paste it.

Keep in mind that once you're in "select text" mode, the screen will NOT scroll. So be sure ALL the text you need to copy is visible, or you won't be able to select it.

 

[dkaufman1]

Actually you can...

You just have to use the browser instead of the gmail app. Open your browser to mail.google.com. Open the email using the browser. When you've got the email open press the menu button then tap "more" then tap "select text".
You will then be able to use your finger to drag across the section you want to highlight(the highlight will be pink) and when you let go, the text is copied to the clipboard, so you can paste it where ever you need to paste it.

Keep in mind that once you're in "select text" mode, the screen will NOT scroll. So be sure ALL the text you need to copy is visible, or you won't be able to select it.

Good call. Of course sad that this exists again in the web browser gmail and not in the application. Also the text on the screen issue is a bit frustrating.

Thanks again for pointing out this "solution."

 

[punkzanyj]

yep, that's definitely one of the drawbacks of the new way they're doing touchscreens.
Back on my old PDAs and Tmobile Wing, if I touched the screen and slid my finger across, it defaulted to the way a mouse works -- as if you're clicking and dragging.

Now, frustratingly, your finger sliding across the screen in any area is the equivalent to scrollbar movement. Great for navigation, horrible for selection. I see the utility of both modes of operation, but just wish someone had the smarts to put a toggle button on the side of the phone to let you switch between these modes without having to open menus.

 

[dkaufman1]

yep, that's definitely one of the drawbacks of the new way they're doing touchscreens.
Back on my old PDAs and Tmobile Wing, if I touched the screen and slid my finger across, it defaulted to the way a mouse works -- as if you're clicking and dragging.

Now, frustratingly, your finger sliding across the screen in any area is the equivalent to scrollbar movement. Great for navigation, horrible for selection. I see the utility of both modes of operation, but just wish someone had the smarts to put a toggle button on the side of the phone to let you switch between these modes without having to open menus.

FYI - it would be easy - in the software just put a small "a" button and when you click it it allows a shift of functionality to highlight. Like the zoom in/out

 

[punkzanyj]

FYI - it would be easy - in the software just put a small "a" button and when you click it it allows a shift of functionality to highlight. Like the zoom in/out

true but then you're playing "chase the a". By that I mean, it would be in the way of words sometimes, or, you'd have to touch the screen a move it a little to get that "a" to reappear. A hardware button is more to my liking because hardware buttons are always available --- that's why I like the physical keyboard on the G1.

 

[sonisoe]

its good feedback, why dont you post it in the android/google sites, better chance for this feature request to be looked at and implemented by the google people i guess..... lots of time smartphones are getting too smart forgetting how useful basic functions are.... like send+receive contacts (vcard) over sms, tethering for modem, group contacts... hopefully since android is "open" manufacturers will - as rumoured - customize future phones....

 

[garsh]

Keep in mind that once you're in "select text" mode, the screen will NOT scroll. So be sure ALL the text you need to copy is visible, or you won't be able to select it.

If you use the track ball instead of your finger, then you can scroll the screen while selecting text.

 

[monkeymynd]

Anyone here using K-9 mail? Can you select text in that mail app?

 

[Fatal Exception]

Its one thing the gmail application is lacking.

I should be able to pull phone numbers, links and addresses from E-mails automatically like I can do with SMS.

 

[shrink57]

Anyone here using K-9 mail? Can you select text in that mail app?

You can edit / copy /cut / select text when in reply mode in K-9.

 

[shrink57]

Anyone here using K-9 mail? Can you select text in that mail app?

You can edit / copy /cut / select text when in reply mode in K-9.

 

[frydac]

Thx shrink57, it works very well, easiest is to use the pad or rollerbal or optical thing to select the text from k9mail in reply mode. It can be pasted in the browser or anywhere else (just got my android phone a few days ago, it was a headache)

 

[tikigod19]

You can edit / copy /cut / select text when in reply mode in K-9.

im having a nightmare selecting text in k9. I can select horizontally across the line but its really fiddly to select downwards.

What am I doing wrong??