Circle to Search launched in January on the Galaxy S24 series, with the Pixel 8 lineup following shortly after, and has slowly expanded to more devices since. The easy to use feature may feel a bit gimmicky, but can be pretty helpful at times when you remember it’s there.
Essentially a quicker, AI-powered version of Google Lens, Circle to Search allows you to draw on any part of your screen to perform a visual search. So, if you see a jacket in a video you’re watching on your phone, you can activate Circle to Search by holding down on your home button or gesture bar, and circle the jacket to view photos and potentially find places to purchase it.
Read more: Best Android Phone of 2024
We’ll keep the list of the latest devices that have received the feature updated, so read on to see if you have access to Circle to Search.
For more, don’t miss how to (sort of) get Circle to Search on your iPhone and 7 new features from the latest Android feature drop.
Watch this: ‘Circle to Search’ Lets Users Google From Any Screen
Circle To Search: The full list of supported devices
As of May, the AI-powered discovery tool has been added to other Samsung and Google phones, including some that launched several years ago. Circle to Search is also available on some Android tablets, including the Pixel tablet.
Here’s the full list:
- Samsung Galaxy S24, S24 Plus and S24 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S23, S23 Plus, S23 Ultra and S23 FE
- Samsung Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, S22 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S21, S21 Plus, S21 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, S9 Plus, and S9 Ultra
- Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro
- Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro
- Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro
- Google Pixel 6A and 7A
- Google Pixel Fold
- Google Pixel Tablet
The Pixel 8 now supports Circle to Search.
How to use Circle to Search
Now, if you’ve got the right phone or tablet, it’s time to use Circle to Search.
From anywhere on your Galaxy or Pixel device, press and hold on the home button in the navigation bar and choose the new Circle to Search option that appears the very first time you bring it up. After you use the tool once, it’ll become the default search tool, triggered anytime you press and hold the home button, instead of Google Assistant.
You can circle around, draw on or tap any object on your screen.
Once it’s enabled, use your finger to circle, scribble or tap anywhere on your screen to search on Google. If you’re unsure about what you can Circle to Search, it’s pretty much anything on your screen: a celebrity on Instagram, a lamp in the background of a TikTok or a vintage t-shirt on eBay. The options are truly limitless.
Circle to Search will then bring up a panel at the bottom of the screen that you can swipe up to view more information about the object you circled, like you would in Google Search.
In the example below, I tapped LeBron James’ pants on an Instagram post I saw. Google then identified the pants — Louis Vuitton Tailored Cotton Damier Cigarette pants, worth $1,890. In the Circle to Search panel, the first option is a direct link to the Louis Vuitton website to purchase them, while the rest of the options show other options to purchase the trousers or similar looking pants at various price points.
If you’re unhappy with results, try reselecting the object or text on your screen.
Circle to Search allows you to enter a prompt to get more tailored results, or an AI summary, for whatever object you’re searching. If you circle a plate of bolognese, for example, you can ask Circle to Search to give you a vegan-alternative recipe.
Because I want to see if the pants are available elsewhere for less money, I typed “Find on Grailed,” which is an online marketplace for used luxury clothing that usually has more affordable options. The results changed to only Grailed listings for the Louis Vuitton pants.
No screenshots are saved of what you search for using Circle to Search, but if you tap the three-dot icon on the top-right of Circle to Search, you can view your history in your Google settings.
When you’re finished using Circle to Search, simply hit the back button to leave the search results.
Watch this: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
Be sure to check out the hidden iPhone feature to help you relax and how to find out if your Android phone is being tracked by an AirTag.
