Circle to Search: Google adds option to share selected portion with others

The new feature within Circle to Search will allow users to quickly send what they have circled, similar to a screenshot, to others without the need to save the image first

Google introduced a new capability for its gesture-driven "Circle to Search" feature, allowing users to highlight a section of an image, at the Made by Google event in August. This feature has now started rolling out. With this update, users can quickly send what they have circled, similar to a screenshot, to others.

Upon activating Circle to Search, a "Share" button will appear above the selection, bringing up Android’s system share sheet. This enables users to quickly share what they have circled without saving it locally to their device. The share sheet offers options to upload to Google Photos or save to Google Keep. While this feature works well for larger images, downloading is recommended for smaller images due to resolution limitations.

What is Circle to Search

The Circle to Search feature allows users to perform searches directly from their screen. Initially launched on the Samsung Galaxy S24, it is now available on select Google Pixel devices. Google is also working on enhancing this feature by incorporating an on-screen barcode and QR code scanner. Currently in testing, this enhancement is expected to be rolled out more widely soon.

The new feature was announced by Google in a blog post earlier this month, alongside Gemini Live. Reports of Google testing the functionality for quickly sharing screenshot-like images first surfaced in April this year. The latest feature is now rolling out on compatible Samsung and Pixel devices as a server-side update.

Samsung recently announced that Google’s Circle to Search function is now being extended to more Samsung Galaxy devices. The latest recipients of this gesture-driven search feature include the Galaxy Tab S9 FE, Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus, and select Galaxy A-series devices.