Google is expected to upgrade its artificial intelligence (AI)-based “Circle to Search” feature soon. This feature is designed for visual lookups, It allows users to circle an image or text on their device to prompt a Google Search for the highlighted content.
The tech giant introduced this feature with the Samsung Galaxy S24 series in January. Despite having an innovative approach, some users have reportedly complained about experiencing issues with the feature triggering accidentally even when not intended. The tech giant is now planning to fix these “accidents”.
How Google is planning to improve the Circle to Search feature
During a recent episode of the Made by Google Podcast, Product Manager Erin Lynch and Director of Product Management Alistair Pott offered insights into the ongoing efforts the company is making to enhance the tool.
The team acknowledged the feedback regarding the feature’s sensitivity and confirmed that they are committed to refining its activation process.
Currently, the feature can automatically activate with a long press on the navigation bar or home button. This leads to unintended searches.
Lynch emphasised that the team is focusing on ensuring that activations occur only when users intend them. However, none of them were able to offer any specific timeline for the fix.
Circle to Search uses AI to analyse and process the on-screen content and offer users detailed search results ranging from definitions of words to information about objects to landmarks.
The planned improvements are part of Google’s broader strategy to refine user interaction with AI tools. This ensures that such features become more reliable and user-friendly.
This enhancement may make the feature more practical for regular usage and may expand its utility across various contexts, from shopping to learning more about one’s surroundings.
Google Lens may seamlessly integrate with Search results
Furthermore, the podcast also explained that the Circle to Search feature uses Google Lens technology to perform its visual searches. This confirmation suggests that the company may be planning to integrate Google Lens more seamlessly with search results.
The upcoming updates is expected to merge the search and lens result pages to enhance user experience and offer more cohesive and informative results.
This integration process that promises a more streamlined interaction for users may take over several months.
The tech giant introduced this feature with the Samsung Galaxy S24 series in January. Despite having an innovative approach, some users have reportedly complained about experiencing issues with the feature triggering accidentally even when not intended. The tech giant is now planning to fix these “accidents”.
How Google is planning to improve the Circle to Search feature
During a recent episode of the Made by Google Podcast, Product Manager Erin Lynch and Director of Product Management Alistair Pott offered insights into the ongoing efforts the company is making to enhance the tool.
The team acknowledged the feedback regarding the feature’s sensitivity and confirmed that they are committed to refining its activation process.
Currently, the feature can automatically activate with a long press on the navigation bar or home button. This leads to unintended searches.
Lynch emphasised that the team is focusing on ensuring that activations occur only when users intend them. However, none of them were able to offer any specific timeline for the fix.
Expand
The planned improvements are part of Google’s broader strategy to refine user interaction with AI tools. This ensures that such features become more reliable and user-friendly.
This enhancement may make the feature more practical for regular usage and may expand its utility across various contexts, from shopping to learning more about one’s surroundings.
Google Lens may seamlessly integrate with Search results
Furthermore, the podcast also explained that the Circle to Search feature uses Google Lens technology to perform its visual searches. This confirmation suggests that the company may be planning to integrate Google Lens more seamlessly with search results.
The upcoming updates is expected to merge the search and lens result pages to enhance user experience and offer more cohesive and informative results.
This integration process that promises a more streamlined interaction for users may take over several months.
