Circle to Search is the fastest way to ask Google about anything on your phone screen: long-press the bottom of the screen, draw a circle, and you get answers without leaving the app you’re in. In 2026 it quietly became much more than a picture search. It now checks suspicious texts for scams, translates whole screens as you scroll, searches several objects at once with Gemini 3, and lets you try on clothes from a screenshot. This guide covers every feature, which phones get what, how to turn it on or off, and how to fix it when the long-press does nothing.
- Start it: touch and hold the Home button or the navigation handle, then circle, scribble, highlight or tap what you want to search.
- Works on: Pixel 6 and later, recent Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets, and many phones from Motorola, OnePlus, Nothing, Oppo and others. It needs the latest Google app and Google as your default assistant.
- New in 2026: multi-object search powered by Gemini 3 (25 Feb 2026, Galaxy S26 and Pixel 10 first), scam check for text messages (15 Oct 2026), outfit search and virtual try-on.
- Translate: tap Translate for the whole screen, or Scroll and translate to keep translating as you scroll.
- Turn off: Settings > search “Circle to Search” > switch off. On Pixel: Settings > System > Circle to Search.
- iPhone: no Circle to Search, but the Google app and Chrome have “Search screen with Google Lens”.
What Is Circle to Search?
Circle to Search is a Google feature built into Android. Instead of taking a screenshot, opening Google Lens and uploading it, you trigger it from any app with a long-press and select part of the screen. Google then searches that selection (an image, text, a product, a building, a song playing) and shows results in a sheet over the lower half of the screen. You can add a text question to your selection, which gives you an AI Overview, and follow-up questions can continue in Google’s AI Mode.
Google said in July 2025 that Circle to Search was on more than 300 million Android devices, and support has grown since then as more brands added it with Android 15 and 16 updates.
Supported Phones and Requirements
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Phone | Pixel 6 and later; recent Samsung Galaxy S, Z Fold/Flip, many A-series phones and Galaxy Tab models; selected Motorola, OnePlus, Nothing, Oppo and other Android phones |
| Google app | Latest version from Google Play |
| Assistant setting | Google set as the default digital assistant, with Use screen and app data turned on |
| Find the look | Pixel 10 series (including 10a), Pixel 11 series, or devices that support AI Mode or AI Overviews |
| Try it on | Pixel 10 or 11 series; Australia, Canada, India, Japan, UK and US; signed in, 18+, with history and personalised recommendations on |
| Camera mode | Pixel 11 series only: long-press while the camera is open and circle what the camera sees |
New features usually land on the newest Pixel and Galaxy flagships first (Pixel 10 and Galaxy S26 for the Gemini 3 upgrade) and reach other phones over the following months. If a feature in this guide is missing on your phone, it’s usually a rollout or device limit, not a setting you missed.
How to Use Circle to Search
- Open anything: a photo, a video, a chat, a web page, a game.
- Touch and hold the Home button (3-button navigation) or the navigation handle at the bottom (gesture navigation). The screen shimmers when it starts.
- Select: circle an object, scribble over it, highlight text, or simply tap it. Drag the selection corners to adjust.
- Read the results in the bottom sheet. Swipe it up for more.
- Ask a follow-up: type in the Add to your search box, for example “is this plant safe for cats?” That gives you an AI Overview for your selection.
- Exit: swipe down, use the back gesture, or tap the X at the top left.
Tip: you don’t have to draw a neat circle. A quick scribble over a word or a tap on a phone number or URL is enough. Since early 2025, tapping a number or link gives a one-tap action, such as calling or opening the page.
Check If a Text Is a Scam
On 15 October 2026 Google added a scam check that works on text messages, including inside Google Messages. It’s the feature I’d show to every family member first.
- Open the message you’re unsure about. Don’t tap any link in it.
- Touch and hold the Home button or navigation handle.
- Circle the whole message.
- Read the AI Overview. It explains whether the message shows common scam signs (fake delivery fees, urgent bank warnings, prize claims, lookalike links) and suggests next steps.
- If it looks like a scam, delete the message and block the number. In Google Messages you can also tap Report spam.
Treat the answer as a second opinion, not a guarantee. Google says results and availability may vary. If a message claims to be from your bank, call the number printed on your card instead of any number in the text.
Translate a Screen and Scroll and Translate
- Translate the whole screen: start Circle to Search and tap Translate (the language icon next to the search bar). The text on screen is replaced with a translated overlay.
- Scroll and translate: start Circle to Search, tap Translate, then Scroll and translate. Now you can scroll a chat, menu or social feed and the translation keeps up. This arrived on Samsung in September 2025 and reached Pixel in December 2025.
Translation doesn’t work on videos or GIFs. For videos, turn on Live Caption with translation in your phone’s accessibility or sound settings instead.
Multi-Object Search With Gemini 3
Announced on 25 February 2026, this upgrade lets you circle several things in one image and ask one question about all of them. Google gives the example of circling all the fish in an aquarium photo and asking how they coexist: Circle to Search identifies each species, explains how they relate, and links to web sources. Under the hood, Gemini 3 picks out the key parts of the image, crops them, runs several searches at once and combines the answers.
Good uses I’d try: a photo of a desk setup (identify the keyboard, monitor and lamp), a dish at a restaurant (what’s in it and is it vegetarian), or several pills in a photo, though for medicine always check with a pharmacist.
It launched on the Galaxy S26 series and Pixel 10 phones, with Google saying more Android devices would follow.
Find the Look and Try It On
Find the look
- Open a photo or post with an outfit you like.
- Start Circle to Search and circle the whole outfit.
- Tap Find the look and scroll. You get matches for each piece: top, trousers, shoes, bag.
It works best when clothes are clearly visible. Layered or partly covered outfits give weaker matches.
Try it on
- In the results, tap an eligible product, then Try it on.
- The first time, upload a full-length photo of yourself or pick a model.
- Google generates an image of the item on you.
Try it on doesn’t support lingerie, swimwear or accessories, and doesn’t appear for Shopping ads. It needs search history and personalised recommendations on, so skip it if you’d rather not upload a photo of yourself.
Other Useful Tricks
| Trick | How |
|---|---|
| Identify a song | Start Circle to Search and tap the music note icon while audio plays (in a video, a reel or around you) |
| Homework help | Circle a maths or physics problem for step-by-step explanations |
| Gaming help | Circle a game screen to get tips on a level or character without leaving the game |
| Copy text from an image | Highlight the text in a photo or screenshot, then tap Copy |
| Check a photo’s origin | Use the photo transparency option to see whether an image may have been edited or AI-generated |
| Scan a QR code on screen | Circle the code to open the link without a second phone |
Turn Circle to Search On or Off
- Most Android phones: Settings > search for “Circle to Search” > Circle to Search > switch on or off.
- Pixel: Settings > System > Circle to Search.
- Samsung Galaxy: Settings > Display > Navigation bar > Circle to Search.
Turning it off frees up the long-press on the home button, which then opens your assistant (Gemini on most phones now) instead.
Circle to Search on iPhone and PC
iPhones don’t have Circle to Search, because Google can’t add a system-wide gesture to iOS. The closest thing, added in February 2025, is in the Google app and Chrome for iOS: tap the three-dot menu and choose Search screen with Google Lens, then circle or tap part of the page. It only works inside those apps. You can also add a Lens shortcut to an iPhone Action Button or Back Tap through the Shortcuts app.
On a PC or Mac, Chrome has a similar Search with Google Lens option in the right-click menu that lets you drag over any part of a web page.
Circle to Search Not Working? Fixes
Long-press opens Gemini or nothing happens
Check that Circle to Search is switched on (see above). On some phones, holding too briefly opens nothing, and holding too long opens the assistant. Google lengthened the press and added a stronger vibration in early 2025, so wait for the vibration.
“Circle to Search isn’t available”
Make sure Google is your default digital assistant: Settings > Apps > Default apps > Digital assistant app. Turn on Use screen and app data on the same screen. Update the Google app from Google Play.
It doesn’t work in one app
Banking, medical and other apps that mark their screens as secure block screen capture, so Circle to Search can’t see them. This is by design.
Translate button or scam check missing
These features roll out gradually by phone and region. Update the Google app and Google Play system updates (Settings > Security & privacy > System & updates), then restart.
Results only show images, no AI Overview
AI Overviews depend on your country and language. Type a question in Add to your search to trigger one where available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which phones have Circle to Search?
Pixel 6 and later, recent Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets, and many recent phones from brands such as Motorola, OnePlus, Nothing and Oppo. You need the latest Google app with Google set as your default assistant.
Is Circle to Search free?
Yes. It’s part of Google Search on Android and needs no subscription.
How do I check if a text message is a scam with Circle to Search?
Open the message, long-press the Home button or navigation handle, circle the message and read the AI Overview. If it flags red flags, delete the message and block the sender.
Can I use Circle to Search on an iPhone?
Not the Android version. In the Google app or Chrome for iOS, use the three-dot menu and choose Search screen with Google Lens for a similar experience inside those apps.
How do I turn off Circle to Search?
Open Settings, search for Circle to Search and switch it off. On Pixel it’s under Settings > System. On Samsung it’s under Settings > Display > Navigation bar.
Does Circle to Search save what I search?
Searches are saved to your Google account if Web & App Activity is on, like normal Google searches. You can review and delete them at myactivity.google.com.
Why doesn’t Circle to Search work in my banking app?
Banking and other sensitive apps block screen capture for security, so Circle to Search cannot read their screens.
Final Thoughts
If you only use Circle to Search to identify shoes, you’re missing its best tricks. Scroll and translate is a lifesaver in foreign-language group chats, multi-object search is genuinely useful for photos with lots going on, and the new scam check is worth teaching to anyone who gets suspicious delivery texts. Make sure Google is your default assistant and your Google app is updated, and most of it just works.
For more on what changed on Android this year, read my guides to Gemini replacing Google Assistant, the Pixel 11 AI features and Galaxy AI in One UI 9. If you want the same kind of AI answers in a browser, see Gemini in Chrome and my comparison of Perplexity vs ChatGPT Search vs Google AI Mode.
Sources
- Google Search Help: Search your screen with Circle to Search
- Google blog: Circle to Search gets updated to search multiple things at once (25 Feb 2026)
- Google blog: Use Circle to Search to spot text message scams (15 Oct 2026)
- Droid Life: Google Messages scam check with Circle to Search
- 9to5Google: Circle to Search news timeline
- Samsung UK: How to use Circle to Search on Galaxy
- Android Central: Circle to Search-like feature on iOS