Want to select something that’s really small or hidden by the search bar? No problem.
Summary
- Circle to Search is a new feature on the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Google Pixel 8 series that allows users to search their screen by drawing a circle over the desired text or image.
- It was recently discovered that users can move the search bar to the top if it’s preventing them from circling a particular element.
- Users can also zoom in or out on the screen using pinch gestures to highlight smaller images or text.
Out of all the new features introduced on the Samsung Galaxy S24, the one that seems to have gotten users the most excited doesn’t even come from Samsung. During Galaxy Unpacked, Google took to the stage to announce Circle to Search, a new way to search your screen. You just long-press on the home button or navigation bar to invoke Circle to Search, and then quite literally draw a circle over the text or image on screen that you want to look up. What do you do if the content you want to select is really tiny or obscured by the search bar, though?
After Circle to Search rolled out to the Pixel 8 series the other day, one of my followers discovered that they were able to move the search bar to the top by simply dragging or flinging it with one finger. I then discovered that you can also zoom in or out on the window by using a two-finger pan gesture. Both of these little known aspects of Circle to Search are demonstrated in the video embedded below.
Google never showed off this capability in any of their marketing material, but we think it’s pretty neat. They do mention it on a support page as a tip on how to “interact with content blocked by the Search Bar”, but we’re surprised we didn’t learn about this until now, especially since Circle to Search is available out of the box on review units of the Galaxy S24.
Given that Circle to Search quite literally takes a screenshot of whatever you’re currently looking at, it should have come as no surprise that panning and zooming are possible. This will be especially useful when you want to zoom in to copy or search some really tiny text. Let us know if you discovered these tricks on your own, or if you didn’t, what you think of them!
Samsung Galaxy S24
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series has a familiar hardware form-factor, so it’s the software features — particularly AI — that really set it apart from its predecessor. Features like Circle to Search and Instant Slow-mo are handy when you need them, but can smartly get out of the way when you don’t.
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