Android’s Circle to Search feature – which uses Gemini AI to search for specific parts of images or videos online – is getting more powerful. At the Made by Google event on Tuesday, Google announced that Android users with compatible devices can now share their Circle to Search results with friends and family.
Like a faster, AI-powered version of Google Lens, Circle to Search lets you select any part of your screen to perform a visual search by simply 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 enable Circle to Find by pressing and holding the Home button or Gesture Bar, then circling the products to see more photos and possibly find places to buy them.
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But will your Android phone or tablet get this new AI search feature? We’re keeping track of the list of the latest Android devices to get the new feature, so read on to see if you’ll have access to Circle to Search.
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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 is 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.
How to use Circle to search
If you have a compatible phone or tablet, now is the time to use Circle to search.
From anywhere on your Galaxy or Pixel device, Press and hold the Home button in the navigation bar and select the new Circle to search Option that appears the very first time you launch it. After you use the tool once, it will become the default search tool instead of Google Assistant, activating every time you press and hold the Home button.
You can circle, draw, or tap any object on your screen.
Once enabled, you can circle, doodle, or tap your finger anywhere on your screen to search on Google. If you’re not sure what you can use the circle to search for, it’s basically anything on your screen: a celebrity on Instagram, a lamp in the background of a TikTok, or a vintage t-shirt on eBay. The possibilities are truly limitless.
Circle to Search will then bring up a window at the bottom of the screen where you can swipe up to see more information about the item you circled, just like you would in Google Search.
In the example below, I tapped on LeBron James’ pants in an Instagram post I saw. Google then identified the pants – Louis Vuitton Tailored Cotton Damier Cigarette Pants, valued at $1,890. In the “Circle to Search” search box, the first option is a direct link to the Louis Vuitton website to purchase them, while the rest of the options show other ways to purchase the pants or similar looking pants at various price points.
If you are not satisfied with the results, try reselecting the object or text on your screen.
Circle to Search allows you to enter a prompt to get tailored results or an AI summary for the object you’re looking for. For example, if you circle a plate of Bolognese, you can ask Circle to Search to give you a vegan alternative recipe.
Wanting to see if the pants could be found cheaper elsewhere, I typed in “Find on Grailed,” an online marketplace for used luxury clothing that typically has cheaper options. The results switched to only Grailed listings for the Louis Vuitton pants.
No screenshots are saved of your searches using Circle to Search, but if you tap the three dots icon in the top right of Circle to Search, you can view your history in your Google settings.
When you’re done using Circle to Search, simply click the back button to exit the search results.
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