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Thanks to no other than Samsung, Google’s Chrome web browser may soon have stylus hand-to-text input on Android 13 soon according to XDA Developers alumni Mishaal Rahman on Twitter. After poking around in the Chromium commits, he spotted code changes referencing Android T and stylus functionality for Samsung’s DirectWriting feature.
Support has apparently been toggled in tests by a Samsung developer who’s been toying with it for use within editable, non-password text fields. At this time, this may remain a non-consumer-facing option, appearing only in HoneyBoard, Samsung’s keyboard app, connecting to Chrome to provide its services.
Android’s platform Stylus Writing feature is allowed if the device is running Android 13, has the stylus handwriting developer option enabled, and if the input method supports it.
Mishaal Rahman on Twitter
However, should it appear in Gboard, the ChromeOS keyboard, and more, this could prove to be a greater compatibility extension for various styli across the board. Right now, many of these pen input devices are device specific, but with Android being the foundation for apps on Chromebooks, that could change much faster if this feature moves forward.
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