Android's Circle to Search functionality -- which uses Gemini AI to let you search for specific parts of images or videos online -- is getting more powerful. At today's Made by Google event, Google announced that Android users with compatible devices will now be able to share their Circle to Search results with friends and family.
Like a quicker, AI-powered version of Google Lens, Circle to Search allows you to select any part of your screen to perform a visual search just by circling it with your finger or other input device.
When you see a product like clothing, electronics or appliances in photos or videos on your Android phone, you can activate Circle to Search by holding down on your home button or gesture bar and then circling those products to view more photos and potentially find places to purchase them.
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But will your Android phone or tablet get this new AI search functionality? We're tracking the list of the latest Android devices that have received the new feature, so read on to see if you have access to Circle to Search.
For more, don't miss how to add Circle to Search to your iPhone (sort of) and everything new about Android announced at Made by Google 2024.
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Circle To Search: The full list of supported devices
The AI-powered discovery tool Circle to Search has been added to several 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 6 and Flip 6
- 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 supports Circle to Search.
Lexy Savvides/CNETNow, if you've got a compatible 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.
Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNETOnce 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.
Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNETCircle 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.
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