Circle to search is currently available on Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8 series of smartphones (Image credit: Google)
Google recently unveiled an enhanced version of mobile web search called “Circle to Search,” allowing users to swiftly search for products or learn about a specific topic with a simple gesture. Currently available on Pixel 8 and Galaxy S24 smartphones, Google has confirmed that the feature will be rolling out to more premium phones in the coming days.
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Despite its name, Circle to Search isn’t limited to circles. Users can also highlight or scribble on a specific area of an image to find similar products, making it ideal for identifying items spotted in short videos or social media posts.
The best part about Circle to Search is the ability to search for anything without switching to another app; there is no need to take a screenshot of an image, helping users cut down the number of steps required to search on Google to just one step, powered by the new Google app.
Right now, Circle to Search is limited to select Android smartphones. This feature is not just limited to product discovery; it can also answer complex questions using multisearch, a feature on Google Search that can identify and analyze both text and images at the same time. You can also highlight text on an article, photo, or video, and Circle to Search will offer relevant explanations, including AI-generated results.
How to use Google’s Circle to Search?
There are two ways to use Circle to Search features. If you use navigation buttons, just long-press on the home screen, where a Google Search menu pops up, and then circle or scribble on the product that you would like to search.
Similarly, if you use gesture-based navigation, long-press on the gesture bar and circle, scribble, or highlight the text or the product that you would like to know more about.
If you have a smartphone with a stylus (S-Pen) like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, you can also use the S-Pen to circle around a product or scribble. On other models, one can circle or scribble using fingers, and in both cases, this feature works just fine.
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An alternative way to search Google using images (Express Photo)
If you don’t have access to these latest smartphones, there is a way to get a similar search experience minus the ability to circle or scribble. Long-press on the home button or swipe from the bottom right or left corner and select screen search, then highlight the image or the text you would like to search. The search results will be similar to that of the Circle to Search experience.
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