One of Google’s latest software innovations, Circle to Search, launched in 2024, has rapidly gained popularity and become a favorite feature among smartphone users.
For those unfamiliar, Circle to Search is a new feature that allows Android users to search for anything without switching apps. With a simple gesture, users can circle, highlight, scribble, or tap on what they want to search and get information in an instant.
Originally launched on the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24 series, Circle to Search is now available on more Android smartphones. Because Circle to Search seems to have been successfully embraced by just about every major handset maker, Google has decided to continue to refine the feature, reports phonearena.
The Mountain View giant announced a couple of updates to Circle to Search, making finding information on your phone easier.
First off, Google announced that its expanding AI Overviews to more types of visual search results for places, trending images, unique objects and more.
AI Overviews in Search, a feature Google released back in May 2024, makes it easier for users to find information they need and discover relevant sites across the web. AI Overviews has been specifically designed to offer answers to complex questions, which is why it’s powered by the multi-step reasoning capabilities of Google’s custom Gemini model.
Originally available in the United States only, AI Overviews was rolled out in more than 100 countries in October 2024.
The second important improvement coming to Circle to Search is even more useful than the first one. Google announced that Circle to Search can now recognize numbers, email addresses and URLs seen on the screen, allowing users to take action with a single tap.
Both updates to Circle to Search are now being rolled out globally, so if you have an Android phone that supports this feature, you should be able to try it out soon.
Bd-pratidin English/ Afia
