Circle to Search might not come to your phone for over half a year

Summary

• Samsung Galaxy S24 series launched with Google’s new Circle to Search feature.
• Circle to Search is currently exclusive to S24 and Pixel 8 devices, and a new document from Samsung suggests the feature’s availability for other Android brands will only begin in October.
• Samsung and Google may have inked an exclusivity deal, but older Galaxy and Pixel devices may still receive Circle to Search updates before October.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 series launch event was an exciting one for Samsung fans, and the average Android enthusiast as well. That’s because the company announced new Gorilla Armor tech for screen protection, which should eventually make its way to devices from other brands. On the software front, Samsung’s event also gave us our first look at Circle to Search. While it is already available on the S24 and Google Pixel 8, people using other models may have a long wait ahead of them.

Google introduced Circle to Search in January, marketed as a new way to access the information you need immediately. Instead of taking a precisely-timed screenshot and pulling up Google Lens, Circle to Search is activated with the simple long-press of the home button or pill-shaped gesture bar on your screen. Then, you can circle the on-screen item you want more info about, and Google should pull up relevant results.

The new feature was a major talking point during Samsung’s presentation just a week after Google made the feature official. Google subsequently shipped Circle to Search to Pixel 8 and 8 Pro owners through the surprise January Feature Drop, and to this day, the Samsung Galaxy S24 series and Pixel 8 series are the only devices which can use the new tool. Expanded availability is inevitable, but it appears we may have to wait for approximately nine months before any other Android phone model can join the list.

Samsung Netherlands recently announced that Galaxy S24 sales broke all records, but in the footnotes of this release, the company mentioned other brands may only get the feature from October 5, 2024 (via SamMobile).

“Circle to Search will be available on the Google Pixel 8 series and Samsung Galaxy S24 series from January 2024. Circle to Search may become available on Android devices from other brands from October 5, 2024, but no active developments are underway for this.”

At first glance, it sounds like even the people using anything that isn’t an S24 or Pixel 8 model are out of luck until early October, because perhaps Samsung and Google have inked an exclusivity deal for Circle to Search. However, the phrasing could also be interpreted to mean older Google Pixel and Samsung phones might be updated with Circle to Search before October comes around, while “devices from other brands” queue up.

Interestingly, the first week of October is also right around when we start anticipating the Pixel 9 series debut. So, any exclusivity deal could break once the feature is nearly a year old, and available on the Pixel 9 as well. We believe Google is looking to license Circle to Search the way it licenses Android, and brands will have to cough up hefty payments to equip their latest flagships with the feature. We reached out to Google regarding this potential restriction, though the company denied to comment on either this story or its current product roadmap.

In any case, we hope Google doesn’t start foolhardily limiting fun new ways to search behind paywalls and contracts, considering search and advertising are among the foundational pillars of its business model.