The Circle to Search feature debuted at the Samsung Galaxy S24 series launch and will soon be available on the Pixel 8 series. To use it, long-press the home navigation button, circle the desired object, and swipe up on the search panel to view results. To enable or disable, go to Settings -> Display -> Navigation bar -> toggle Circle to Search.
Google introduced the Circle to Search feature with the Samsung Galaxy S24 series launch. Initially on all three Galaxy S24 models, it will extend to the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro by the end of January. With this feature, you can effortlessly perform a quick Google search by circling, scribbling, highlighting, or tapping on an object displayed on your phone screen.
How to Turn On/Off Google Circle to Search
In my testing, I observed that the Circle to Search feature was enabled by default on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. If you wish to manually turn it on or off, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app on your Galaxy S24 and tap on Display.
- Scroll down and select Navigation bar.
- Toggle the Circle to Search feature on or off with a simple tap.
Note:
The steps provided are specific to the Galaxy S24 series phone. The process may vary when Circle to Search is introduced on other Android devices. Nevertheless, these steps offer a clear guide on what to expect when the feature arrives on your device.
How to Use the Circle to Search Feature
Now that you know how to enable or disable the feature, here’s a simple guide on how to use it:
- Long-press the home navigation button when you want details about an object on your screen.
- A sparkly effect signals that you can now circle your desired object.
- After circling, Google search results appear in the bottom panel. Swipe up to view all matching results, and tap on a result to be redirected to the respective website.
In the provided GIF, expanding the highlighted area for more accurate results is demonstrated. For instance, by initially circling only the keyboard area, results for keyboard covers appeared. However, broadening the area to the entire laptop revealed the model of the laptop in the Google search.
The purpose of this feature is to swiftly search for items encountered on your phone directly on the web. Additionally, Google announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the feature will be available for the Pixel 8 series starting January 31, 2024.
With this, the feature is likely to expand to additional devices in the upcoming weeks. What are your thoughts on this useful new AI feature? Do you anticipate using it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!