- The Circle to Search feature was introduced during the Samsung Galaxy S24 series launch event and is coming to Pixel 8 series soon.
- To use the feature, long-press the home navigation button -> circle the desired object -> swipe up the search panel at the bottom to see all results.
- You can also turn it on or off by heading to Settings -> Display -> Navigation bar -> toggle on or off Circle to Search.
Google rolled out its new Circle to Search feature alongside the launch of the latest Samsung Galaxy S24 series. It will initially be available on all three Galaxy S24 models but will reach the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro by the end of January. Using this feature, you can easily do a quick Google search of an object displayed on your phone screen by circling, scribbling, highlighting, or tapping on it.
Sounds interesting, right? I had to take this cool Galaxy AI feature out for a test run, especially since I got my hands on the Galaxy S24 Ultra at the Beebom office. So, without further ado, here’s how to use the new Google Circle to Search and satisfy your curiosity instantly!
How to Turn On Or Off Google Circle to Search
During my testing, I noticed that the Circle to Search feature was turned on by default on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. So, unless you toggle it off, you can get to using it right away. However, somehow, if you want it turn it off or on manually, follow these steps:
- Head to your Galaxy S24’s Settings app and tap on Display.
- Next, scroll down and tap on the Navigation bar option.
- Here, you can toggle on or off the Circle to Search feature with a simple tap.
Note: Since the steps above use a Galaxy S24 series phone, the steps may not be the same for when Circle to Search arrives on other Android devices. However, this will give you a clear idea about what to look for when the feature does arrive to your device.
How to Use the Circle to Search Feature
Now that you know how to turn on or off the feature, let’s get into how you can use it. It is not rocket science and the steps are pretty simple. Here’s a quick rundown:
- When you want to know details of an object being displayed on your screen, simply long press the home navigation button.
- A sparkly effect will take over your screen, suggesting that you can now circle your desired object.
- As soon as you do, you will see Google search results in the bottom panel. You can swipe up on this panel and scroll through to see all the matching results. Then, all you have to do is tap on a result, and it will redirect you to the respective website.
As you can see in the GIF above, if you fail to circle what you are looking for, you can expand the highlighted area for more accurate results. Here, since I had first only circled the keyboard area, I received results for keyboard covers and similar items. However, as soon as I broadened the area to the rest of the laptop, I could finally see the model of my laptop show up in Google search.
Recently, we posted a YouTube video about the best Galaxy AI features, where we showcased the Circle to Search feature as well. So, you can check that out too.
With that, now you know how the Google Circle to Search feature works. So, if you have pre-ordered a Galaxy S24, you know what to expect from it.
The point of this feature is to search for something you come across on your phone and look for it on the web instantly. Moreover, Google took to X (formerly Twitter) to reveal that the feature will come to the Pixel 8 series on January 31, 2024.
With that, we can only expect to see the feature roll out to more and more devices in the coming weeks. What do you think of this handy new AI feature? Will you find yourself using it now and then? Let us know in the comments down below!
