Android Magazine

Circle to search anything on your phone—without switching apps

August 1, 2025

Woman holding Android phone using Circle to Search feature

Say you are scrolling through social media and come across a video, photo, or article that catches your attention. You want to know what kind of dog you are seeing, where your friend bought their cool new jacket, or what a phrase you have never heard before means. But you do not want to switch apps and risk losing your spot. With Circle to Search on your Android smartphone, you don’t have to.1 Circle to Search is a new, simpler way to find what you are looking for on select Android devices. With intuitive gestures like circling, scribbling, highlighting, and tapping, you can learn about what’s on your screen without having to switch apps. Learning how to use Circle to Search opens up the door to a faster, more convenient search experience that you can only get on Android.

Which Android phones currently offer Circle to Search?

New Circle to Search is exclusively available for:

Circle to Search is easy to use, and it’s available right out of the box in the Samsung Galaxy S24 series. On other eligible devices, you can enable Circle to Search once you’ve updated your device. You can expect to see this innovative feature on more Android phones in the future.

Note for OnePlus users: Circle to Search is currently not available on OnePlus devices, as it's exclusive to Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices. However, OnePlus users can access similar visual search functionality through Google Lens, which works across all Android devices.

How to use Circle to Search on your Android smartphone

When you find something interesting, long press the Home button to activate the feature. If your smartphone is set to Gesture navigation mode, you will long press the navigation handle instead.

After you hold down the Home button or navigation handle, the Google Search bar will pop up at the bottom of your screen. That and a colourful animation let you know that Circle to Search is ready to use.

You can also enable Circle to Search by going into Settings and finding "Hold home to search" or "Hold handle to search" depending on which mode you use. This makes it easy to turn this feature on and off as needed.

For OnePlus and other Android devices: If you don't see Circle to Search options, this feature may not be available on your device. Circle to Search is currently limited to specific Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy models. For visual search on other devices, try using Google Lens through your camera app or Google app.

Search and discover instantly with Circle to Search

Circle to Search offers the wow factor of letting you instantly find what you’re looking for without needing to switch apps. With this feature, you can

  • Circle an image on social media.
  • Highlight text in a Message and copy it.
  • Scribble on a photo of a product you’d like to buy.
  • Tap on the logo of a local business you want to support.
  • Zoom in and pan across an image by pressing the screen with two fingers.

Your friend shares a video of hacks for keeping plants happy and healthy on the go. The plants in the video are beautiful, but you don’t know what they are. Just use Circle to Search, and you can instantly find the answer you’re looking for. When you come across a YouTube Short of a cute puppy playing bongos, Circle to Search helps you identify the breed, learn a bit about it, and go right back to watching.

By making a circling or scribbling gesture on an image, video, or text, you can get information in an instant when something sparks your curiosity. With Circle to Search, the possibilities are endless, and the only limit is your imagination.

Do even more with multisearch & AI-powered overviews

Thanks to Google AI, you can take your journey with Circle to Search even further. In select regions and languages, you can use multisearch to dive deeper into your results and get more insights. When you circle that container of gochujang, you can use multisearch to ask follow-up questions like “What is it made of?” or “Where can I buy this?”

Available in select regions and for certain queries, AI-powered overviews give you an all-in-one look at the topic at hand for even more convenient searching. And once you have what you need, you can get back to your original context without switching apps.

Get instant results with Circle to Search

It is easier to learn, grow, and explore with your AI-enabled Android smartphone. With Circle to Search, you can stay in a moment longer, whether you are engaging with a photo or text you want to know more about or brightening your day with a funny video that sparks inspiration and curiosity. Circle to Search makes it easier to shop for new shoes, discover exciting places, and expand your horizons—all without having to change apps. Because you shouldn’t have to go out of your way to explore the things that bring you joy.

A women's classic fashion sneaker. A white women's fashion sneaker with a classic design. The text $183* and $150* is displayed, possibly representing a discounted price. In stock notification and information about compatible devices is displayed.

Disclaimers

For Circle to Search compatible devices and internet connection required. Works on compatible apps and surfaces. Results may vary depending on visual matches. Visuals are for illustrative purposes only.

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