The just-arrived Galaxy S24’s Circle to Search feature will make it to the Pixel 8: How and why to use،
Circle to Search is one of several islands in Samsung's Galaxy AI archipelago that was discovered and claimed by the Galaxy S24 trio.
Soon, this island will be co-inhabited.
The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro – and perhaps many more after that – would also benefit from Circle to Share functionality (via 9to5Google).
The Circle to Search feature was introduced in the middle of the official Galaxy S24 presentation and it will prove very useful. Let's see how to use it and why.
If you can't find the (search) words, you can now find “the thing” instead.
Native and non-native English speakers can (and should) admit that they have found themselves in this extremely frustrating situation: You see something and want to Google it, but you don't know what it is. As you blush, you type more and more adjectives and gibberish “descriptions” to try to unravel the mystery. One solution is to use Google Lens and search by image for whatever you're looking for, whether it's a photo you took with it. your phone or an image from the web.
Yes, but it takes time. And effort. It's 2024, so we won't have any of that.
This is where Circle to Search comes in: this AI feature allows Galaxy S24 users (and Pixel 8potentially) to perform a quick and seamless search without leaving the application you are in and without disrupting what you are doing.
How to summon it?
Let's say you're scrolling through Instagram and come across a photo. On this one, there's something you want to know more about – maybe a person's hat in the photo or a plant in the background.
To activate Circle to Search, long press the home button (the middle navigation button at the bottom of the screen). A pill-shaped Google Assistant bubble appears, then you just draw a circle around what you're looking for. The pill-shaped bubble expands into a preview of search results with information about everything you circled.
There is a video from Samsung. It's here:
You can also highlight text. For example, if you receive a message that you are invited to dinner at restaurant swipe through the restaurant name. It should show you Google search results and additional information.
Besides circle and highlight gestures, users can also scribble or tap on the Galaxy S24 screen to get instant search results for whatever interests them.
Keep in mind that results may vary – after all, they depend on visual matches and since this is a brand new feature, don't expect 100% accuracy 100% of the time. Of course, Circle to Search requires an Internet connection as well as the latest version of Android. “Some functions may not be compatible with certain applications,” Samsung says, so we’ll see how that goes.
