Which Android version introduced the Now on Tap feature?

Android 6.0 Marshmallow introduced the Now on Tap feature. It expanded Google Now beyond standalone cards by letting users search for information related to whatever was currently visible on the screen.

Users activated Now on Tap by holding the Home button. Android analyzed the displayed text and context—such as a person, film, restaurant, or destination—and offered related search results, suggestions, and actions without requiring the user to copy and paste anything.

The feature depended on Marshmallow’s new Assist API, which allowed an assistant app to receive information from the foreground application. It was part of Google’s effort to make Android more context-aware, alongside features such as runtime app permissions, fingerprint support, USB-C compatibility, and Doze power management.

Now on Tap is often confused with Google Now, which first appeared in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, or Google Assistant, which later replaced Google Now. Now on Tap was a Marshmallow-era feature and was eventually discontinued as Google shifted toward Assistant and other contextual search tools.