Google will soon let you 'circle' to search across any app on Android

Google Circle to Search is launching globally on select premium Android smartphones on January 31, starting with the Pixel 8, the Pixel 8 Pro and the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S24 Series.

Imagine you are scrolling through your favourite social media app when an image or video grabs your interest. You want to know more about it, perhaps identify a food item and how it was made or identify an outfit a creator has worn and where you can buy it.

Google on January 17 announced a new set of generative AI features that makes it possible to perform these actions without switching apps. These features come at a time when the tech giant is looking to reimagine its core search engine business amid rising competition and a shift in how people are seeking information.

Through a feature called 'Circle to Search', Google will enable users to search anything on their Android phone screen with a simple gesture. One can long press the home button or navigation bar on their Android phone to activate Circle to Search, following which they can circle, highlight, or scribble on the image or video to find the information they need.

Google will enable users to search anything on their Android phone screen with a simple gesture. (Image Source: Google)

For instance, if one comes across an unfamiliar slang phrase while watching a video, they can highlight it to know more about the slang phrase, its meaning and perhaps, how to use it in your daily conversations. Or one can circle sunglasses in a video to quickly find similar, shoppable options from retailers across the web.

Google said the feature will not work on apps that disable users from taking screenshots, such as banking apps or those containing private content. It also noted that Google search and shopping ads will continue to appear in dedicated ad slots throughout the results page.

Circle to Search is launching globally on select premium Android smartphones on January 31, starting with the Pixel 8, the Pixel 8 Pro and the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S24 Series.

Google said it intends to eventually roll out this feature to as "many people around the world as possible" without disclosing any further details. It is not clear whether the company has any plans to roll out this feature to iOS devices.

"Ultimately, we envision a future where you can search any way, anywhere you want," said Elizabeth Reid, Vice President of Search at Google in a blogpost.

Read: Google is slowly reimagining search in the generative AI era

Google's multisearch feature, which allows users to search using both text and images simultaneously, is also receiving a new upgraded experience, benefiting from the recent breakthroughs in generative AI technology.

Starting today, one can point their camera and ask a question using the Google app, the new multisearch experience will show results with AI-powered insights that go beyond just visual matches. The company said this enables users to ask more complex or nuanced questions about what they see, and quickly find and understand relevant information.

Google's multisearch feature, which allows users to search using both text and images simultaneously, is also getting a generative AI upgrade (Image Source: Google)

For instance, imagine you see a board game without any instructions at a clearance sale. One can take a picture using Google Lens and add a question on how to play it, following which an AI-powered overview will provide all relevant information from across the web, besides the visual matches to the picture. The experience will also provide supporting links for users who want to delve deeper, the company said.

Reid said this feature is a result of the company's experiments on integrating generative AI capabilities to its search product through Search Generative Experience (SGE) that was introduced in May 2023. SGE was introduced as an opt-in experiment through the tech giant's Search Labs initiative which houses all its early-stage experiments in Google Search.

"We’ll continue to offer SGE in Labs as a testbed for bold new ideas. But our goal is to make AI helpful for everyone, not just early adopters. So moving forward, as we continue to experiment and uncover which applications of gen AI are most helpful, we’ll introduce them into Search more broadly, like we’re doing now with multisearch results," Reid said.

The new multisearch feature is launching for all English language users in the United States this week, with plans to expand to other markets in the future. People who are outside the United States and have opted into SGE through Google Labs, can preview this new experience on the Google app, the firm said. One can also access these AI-powered overviews on multisearch results within the Circle to Search feature.