This was one of the great new features of Samsung’s latest Unpacked, one of the members of the Galaxy AI toolbox: Google’s artificial intelligence can analyze everything that happens on the screen just surrounding it. Initially called Circle to search, this function is currently exclusive to the Samsung Galaxy S24. Or not, because it’s the Google Lens we’ve been using since 2018, albeit in disguise.
The mobile phone is an open door to knowledge and communication, as well as entertainment. Through this touch screen our lives, our concerns, our desires, the doubts that tempt our desire for knowledge appear almost completely. To calm them down just use the camera: A simple photo reveals the name of the plant we just walked on, the breed of dog that came to greet us during our walk in the park. Google has managed to direct its AI towards an interaction system that is as simple as it is powerful, but it can always be even simpler.
Circle to search is Google Lens evolved
Circle to search scans everything marked on the screen
When Google’s “Visual Detective” launched its services in Google Photos, I was surprised at how well it worked at identifying anything in images, even text. Mr.touch the photo to copy the text This saved me a lot of minutes writing each WiFi password character by character, for example: Lens has always been very powerful for these very arduous little tasks.
Google Lens has made the leap to mobile phones and computers to identify any element in photos, no matter how small: All you had to do was point the camera or mark the text with your finger. And the new Circle to search launched on the Samsung Galaxy S24 is just that: when you mark on the Lens screen, it takes care of searching for it. Yes, it’s simpler, but it’s still the same.
I tested the new Google AI integrated by Samsung and I think that the new usage mechanics considerably increase the simplicity that has prevailed until now in Lens. Because you just need to do the following to use it:
- Do you see something on your mobile screen that you don’t know? Launch Google Lens in the form of Circle to Search.
- Press and hold the bottom bar if you’re using scrolling gestures or the home button if you’re using virtual buttons. The tools menu instantly appears while the screen dims slightly and the video stops (if an animation is playing).
- It’s time to showcase what you want. Circle a person, a dog, scribble on a text… The search circle will analyze this part of the image to identify what you are looking for.
- The mobile will offer you results corresponding to the selection in the form of a lower pop-up window. It can also offer you the copied text, for example.
From what I tested, Circle to search is really fast on the Samsung Galaxy S24, much more intuitive than the Google Lens on which it is based and much more fun. When I realized how it worked, it was very fast search results from any app, website, or photoThis seems to me to be a sudden step forward. Of course, there’s not too much difference from the Google Lens we used until now. For now.
Don’t take a photo or capture the screen: Circle to search does the whole process on its own
Search for text, copy it or translate it directly? Check it out and go (Google image)
With Google Lens we must specifically open the application (it is actually a tool integrated into the Google application), capture the image with the camera or upload the photo we want to analyze from the gallery . On the other hand, Circle to search carries out the entire process directly: once launched the tool, it capture the screen so we can tell Google’s AI what we want to find. The results scroll on this same screen, all efficiently integrated into the system.
I tried Circle for searching and loved it, just like I’ve loved Google Lens since day one. And this seems to me to be a great way to evolve interaction with AI: being integrated into mobile makes it easy to use in any application, just what an interface needs to become mainstream.
All that remains is for Rodea to look to move from the Samsung Galaxy S24 to the Pixel 8 and, then, to the rest of Android. Google has confirmed that you can take advantage of this Circle to carry out searches without having either Pixel or Samsung.
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