Circle to Search: Google’s New Way to Search Any Android Screen

Curiosity, that fundamental trait, has played a major role in the progress and evolution of our species from the very beginning. From probing the depths of the ocean to traveling toward distant horizons, it is this unique quality that has let us change what we believe and push the boundaries of knowledge and experience further and further. Where an answer ends, more curiosity begins.

Google has always concentrated on shortening the distance between curiosity and access to information. Thanks to the big steps it has taken in artificial intelligence, we now get a rare experience of answers that feel natural, which counts as an unmatched achievement.

Voice search let you find the name of a song just by humming it, and Lens let you search what you can see. Now the time has come to meet Google’s latest innovation, Circle to Search.

Phones are a window onto enormous sources of information around the world. Searching to solve a problem, buying a nice gift, learning a new skill, even finding a reason to smile; this clever device is here to go with you toward whatever you are interested in.

But it is never that simple, because most of the time you have to use several different workarounds to get everything you want. That annoying experience becomes a real challenge when you stare at the screen and cannot work out how to carry out what is on your mind, or find a proper answer to the questions inside your head.

Circle to Search is a new capability that lets you search for anything and reach a result with one simple gesture, with no special app or tool involved.

On your Android phone, select whatever you are curious about in the most natural way — drawing a circle, sketching a line or tapping — and the information you need arrives right there.

Let us take an example. It has surely happened that you liked someone’s outfit or handbag on social media or while watching a video. Or that a dish served on a table in some film scene caught your eye. Hold the Home button or the Android navigation bar for a few moments until Circle to Search turns on. Now circle the bag, or draw a line beside the plate, using any gesture that points to an item on the screen, and you have everything related to what you selected.

But that is not the whole story. The feature also lets you use Google’s search tools to examine bag models, brands and other custom details. Did you draw a line across a nice shade of lipstick? With Google’s search technology you can choose it against 3D models in the search results based on your skin tone, and finish the purchase on the spot.

All of this happens without any effort, and you no longer need to move from one screen to another to get somewhere else. When you are done, swipe the page aside and go back to where you were.

Sometimes you may want to ask more complicated questions about what you are seeing. Suppose you are using social media and a photo of a tasty omelette with unusual extra ingredients suddenly draws your attention. The web is full of dishes like that, but this omelette looks different, and that is exactly when you want to learn more.

With multisearch, which lets you search with text and image at the same time, you can make sense of concepts, ideas or any kind of subject and search them easily.

Why is this omelette such a popular dish? What is in the picture besides tomatoes and eggs? How do I make this omelette?

These are not merely the simple searches you have always dealt with. Google wants you to cook the food you like yourself and to work out its taste from other people’s reviews.

Because of its particular mix, prepared with specific spices and herbs, this omelette gives you an experience unlike anything you have had before. Can you smell the hot bread straight off the fire? What about the potatoes with garlic sauce? Google’s search results are meant to make your mouth water, not just hand you an excuse to click.

The Circle to Search feature can help you quickly identify the components of a photo or the elements present in a film.