Circle to Search: How Google Is Changing the Way We Search

Do you use an Android phone? Then get ready for a small revolution from Google. The search giant is rolling out two new features that are set to change how we search: Circle to Search and AI-powered multisearch. Here’s what the Référenceur team makes of them.

Google: The Friend Who Has an Answer for Everything

A question, a doubt, a fact to check? Our first reflex is to turn to our old friend Google. It’s a habit we all share.

Google keeps getting better at making everyday life, and all its questions, a little easier. You can already search Google with keywords, phrases, or full questions typed into a search bar, by saying “Hey Google” out loud, or with visual search through the Google Lens button.

Apparently that wasn’t enough. Google is adding new ways to answer our questions (and maybe free up a little mental bandwidth along the way). Here comes the revolution.

Circle to Search: Circle It and Get the Answer

We ask more questions every day, and Google’s mission is to give us the best answer.

By combining AI with its search engine, Google is launching Circle to Search.

The idea, in Google’s words, is a new way to search anything on your Android phone without switching apps.

In practice, Google now follows you into every app on your phone.

Here’s an example: you’re on the couch, daydreaming about that new Dyson hair dryer, when a thought hits you: “What if I could find the best price?” Right there, your finger can circle, scribble on, or tap the object of your desire (the hair dryer) in your favorite influencer’s Reel. Google then pulls up its best results, and maybe a deal that’s just right for you.

The Perfect Pairing: Multisearch

Circle to Search doesn’t arrive alone. It improves and simplifies existing ways to search: you can search without leaving the app you’re using.

Along the same lines, Google is bringing AI-powered multisearch into the mix. Again relying on AI, Google lets you combine text and images in a single search. Mind officially blown.

In short, you’ll be able to circle something on your screen and add a question to it without leaving the app.

Don’t get too excited just yet: at launch, the feature is available only on a handful of Android phones, namely the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro and the new Samsung Galaxy S24 series. Everyone else will have to be patient.

Now that we’ve helped you find a great deal, we’ll leave you to enjoy your new Dyson.

Where Things Stand in 2026

Circle to Search didn’t stay a flagship exclusive for long: by October 2024, Google said it was available on more than 150 million Android devices. Google has kept adding AI features to it since, including access to AI Mode (see our takeaways from Google’s guide to AI Overviews and AI Mode). Visual and on-screen search are now everyday habits, which makes clear product images, descriptive alt text, and well-structured pages more useful than ever. Our guide to image SEO in the age of multimodal AI covers the details.

P.S. If these changes leave you wondering whether your SEO strategy is keeping up, let’s talk. Référenceur is a French-speaking agency from Belgium and Luxembourg that works with U.S. businesses remotely, through video calls, shared screens, and monthly reporting. Request a free assessment.