How to Use Your Android Phone’s “Circle to Search” feature

As you’ve probably noticed, technology companies are rapidly integrating artificial intelligence into as many products as possible. One of the latest AI-powered features coming to Android smartphones is called Circle to Search.

Here’s an idea: Whether it’s the name of a restaurant in a text message or a cute new lamp in a photo you found on social media, what you want to search for on the internet is right there on your phone screen. Instead of copying text or saving an image and going to a browser app, you can simply circle an item with your finger and your phone will search for it.

This is especially useful for image searches because you don’t have to create a text prompt that Google understands. This feature is partially powered by Google Lens, a visual search tool that has been around for several years.

Circle to Search is fast, convenient, and really useful. This cannot be said about all the AI features released in recent months.

However, it is not available on all phones. At the time of writing, you need a Google Pixel 6 (2021 or later) or a Samsung Galaxy S23 (2023 or later). There is evidence that more phones are coming in the future, and a quick search online should tell you if your model is currently supported.

How to Activate Circle to Search

First, make sure your phone is running the latest software. Circle to Search was announced in January 2024 with Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series and has since been rolled out to additional phones. On your Pixel phone, go to Settings and select System and software updates. On Galaxy smartphones, simply update the software from Settings.

To enable Circle Search on your Pixel phone, open the main Settings page and select Display & Navigation Mode. There are two options here: gestures or key navigation. No matter what you’re using, tap the gear icon next to your current mode and turn on the Search in Circles toggle.

On Samsung Galaxy phones, open Settings and tap Display & Navigation Bar. There you’ll also find the option to switch between gesture and key navigation modes, but here there’s just one “Circle to Search” toggle that covers both modes. As long as it’s enabled, you can use Circle to search.

Using Circle to Search

One of the reasons Circle to Search is so useful is that you can use it anywhere: in your web browser, social media feeds, and text conversations. Just press and hold the navigation handle or the Home button at the bottom of the screen, depending on whether you’re using gesture or key navigation. It’s a little difficult to hit the handle accurately, but you can get the hang of it. You need to hold your finger there for about 1 second. Again, once you get the hang of it, it will become second nature.

A blue tint covers the screen and you can start turning. You can’t tell from the feature’s name, but you can circle, doodle, or simply tap what you’re looking for. No matter how you use it, your phone will try to understand what you want to choose. This makes it ideal for objects that are distinctly different from the background.

In addition to images, you can also search for portions of text, headings, book titles, or entire paragraphs. Can also be used for mathematical equations. Tell your kids they can use it if they get stuck on their physics homework.

A frame will be displayed around the content you want to know more about using “Circle to Search.” If it’s not in the right place or what you want to use as a search prompt isn’t selected, you can use the handles in the corners to adjust the selection. Search results are displayed at the bottom of the screen. If you select text, you’ll also see options to copy or translate.

Just tap a search result to jump to it. To add something to your search query – If you want to ask where you can buy something, want to know exactly what it is, or want to know where in the world it is, in the search box, type Just type: your addition. (If you want to say it out loud, use the microphone button.)

Tapping a search result doesn’t take you directly to that result. Instead, detailed information about it and related searches are displayed. Next, you need to select “Visit” to jump to a website, YouTube video, etc. (The corresponding app will launch on your phone.)

Tap the three dots in the top right corner of the “Circle to Search” interface and several options will appear. You can view your search history and delete searches from your last search. 15 minutes. (Visit your Google Account page online for additional options to clear your search history.) To exit the Circle to Search interface, tap the X in the upper left corner.