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

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

New AI-powered multisearch experience

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.

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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.