Google’s surprise Feature Drop brings Circle to Search and more to Pixel 8

Summary

• Google drops surprise Feature Drop for Pixel 8 series, adding Circle to Search, Photomoji, and Magic Compose.
• Circle to Search allows users to draw a circle around any item on the screen to search for it.
• Magic Compose graduates from beta, available to Pixel 8 users worldwide in Google Messages.

Google typically drops an update for compatible Pixel devices at the beginning of every month containing the latest security patches and bug fixes. Then, in the last month of every quarter, the company releases a Pixel Feature Drop, packing several new features and enhancements. The previous Pixel Feature Drop was released in December 2023, and the next one should be out in March 2024. But Google is taking a slight detour from its usual update schedule and sending out a new Feature Drop for Pixels that adds features like Circle to Search, Photomoji, and Magic Compose.

Google’s calling this update the January Feature Drop. The main highlight is the new Circle to Search gesture, which Google made official last week and Samsung showed off at its Galaxy S24 Unpacked event.

With the feature enabled, you can long-press the home button or the “pill” gesture bar and then draw a circle around the item on the screen you want to search for. Google will recognize the subject or text using its AI prowess and pull up the relevant results. Circle to Search is only coming to the Pixel 8 series. And apart from the Pixel, you can use this feature on the Samsung Galaxy S24 series.

Google has been beta testing Magic Compose in Google Messages since its yearly developer conference in May 2023. It brings the power of Bard to let you compose texts with the appropriate mood and style in just a few taps. After an extended beta limited to the US, Google was spotted expanding the feature to Europe in late December.

With the January Feature Drop, Magic Compose is graduating from beta and becoming available to all Pixel 8 users worldwide in Google Messages. However, it will only work with English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Korean languages.

Photomoji, which Google announced as a part of Google Messages crossing 1 billion active RCS users in late November 2023, will see a wider rollout as a part of the January Feature Drop. This feature allows you to create custom stickers using your photos or a subject in a picture, which you can use in conversations. Photomoji are coming to Google Messages on all Pixel phones, starting with the Pixel 5a.

This update from Google will also rename Nearby Share to Quick Share. The tool’s functionality remains the same, so you can quickly transfer pictures, files, and text between your Android phone, tablet, Chromebook, and Windows PC. The branding change will roll out to all Android 6.0+ devices.

This update will also allow the Pixel 8 Pro to finally check your body temperature, with the FDA finally having given the green light to the feature in the US.

Lastly, the Pixel Watch is gaining support for seamless audio switching with the Pixel Buds Pro. This means your Pixel Buds Pro will automatically switch between the paired Pixel phone, Tablet, or the watch based on the device you are using.

Google says the January Pixel Feature Drop will begin rolling out on January 25, 2024, for all compatible Pixel devices.