During Samsung's launch event today, Google unveiled an innovative feature for Android devices called “Circle to Search.” This new capability allows users to search for information from virtually anywhere on their phone using intuitive gestures like circling, highlighting, scribbling, or tapping. Google aims to enhance the user experience by making it more seamless to engage with Google Search whenever a question pops up—be it during a video, while viewing photos in a social media app, or during a chat with a friend.
Despite its name, Circle to Search isn't limited to just the circling gesture. Instead, it's about interacting with the text or images on your screen to initiate a search.
The circling motion is just one of many ways to start a search. For instance, if you’re watching a food video showcasing a Korean corn dog, you can circle the item and ask, “Why are these so popular?”
Beyond circling, other gestures can also trigger searches. While discussing a restaurant in a messaging app, simply tapping on the restaurant's name can provide you with more details. Alternatively, you might swipe across a phrase to generate a search—like using the term “thrift flip” while watching a YouTube Shorts video centered on thrifting.
When something catches your eye on-screen, you can circle or scribble over it. Google suggests you could circle the sunglasses a creator is wearing in their video or scribble over their boots, allowing you to look up related items effortlessly without switching apps. The scribble gesture works for both text and images.
The search results you receive will vary depending on your query and the Google Labs products you have enabled. For basic text searches, you might see conventional results; however, a combined image and text search—referred to as “multisearch” by Google—utilizes generative AI. Users participating in Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) experiment will receive AI-enhanced answers similar to other SGE queries.
Google believes that enabling search access from any app will add significant value, as users will no longer need to pause their activities to conduct a search or take screenshots for later reference.
However, this feature coincides with a decline in Google Search’s dominance. The rise of SEO-optimized pages and spam has made it increasingly challenging to find accurate information online. At the same time, generative AI chatbots are beginning to complement or even replace traditional search methods. Such shifts could pose risks to Google's core advertising revenue as consumers seek answers from alternative sources.
Transforming the Android platform into a comprehensive search interface signifies more than just a valuable enhancement for users; it underscores the need for Google to strengthen its Search operations through deeper integration with its mobile OS.
This feature was part of a broader set of AI announcements encompassing Gemini, Google Messages, and Android Auto, all revealed today. Additionally, it aligns with a new AI-powered multisearch overview feature in Google Lens.
Circle to Search will officially launch on January 31 for the newly unveiled Galaxy S24 Series smartphones, along with premium Android models such as the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. It will be accessible in all languages and regions where these devices are sold, and Google plans to extend this feature to more Android smartphones in the future.
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 lineup introduces camera enhancements and generative AI capabilities.
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