Skip to main content

The latest Google Lens update might bring Circle to Search to many more phones

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support

Google seemingly has plans to expand its Circle to Search feature to other Android phones via Google Lens. In a recent deep dive, news site Android Authority found clues to the update within the recent Google app betas files and compiled them all together. 

What’s particularly interesting is they managed to get the tool working on a smartphone, possibly hinting at an imminent release. According to the report, they even managed to get a popup notification informing users that the update would appear.

It tells people to hold down the home button to access Circle to Search, much like the experience on the Galaxy S24. Upon activation, a three-button navigation bar appears at the bottom, and an accompanying video shows the tool in action as it looks up highlighted portions of the Play Store on Google Search. The UI looks, unsurprisingly, similar to how it does on Galaxy phones, with search inquiries rising from the bottom.

Clashing with Gemini

You may notice that the rainbow filter animation is gone, having been replaced by a series of dots and lines. Well, that’s the old beta, and the newer version has the animation and the Translate button, which shows up in the lower right hand corner next to the search bar.

At a glance, it seems Circle to Search on Google Lens is close to launching, although it is still a work in progress with a few issues to iron out. For example, how will it work on a smartphone housing the Gemini app as holding down on the home button launches the chatbot? Google might give Circle to Search priority in this instance, so long pressing opens the tool rather than the AI. However, at this point, it’s too early to tell.

New navigation option

Android Authority also found “XML files referring to pill-based gesture navigation.” If you don’t know what that is, it’s the oval at the bottom of Android displays. The shape lets you move between apps with basic gestures. Google Lens could offer this option, allowing users to ditch the three-button navigation bar, but it may not come out for a while as it doesn’t work in the betas.

Circle to Search on Google Lens will most likely stick to the three buttons, though. The original report has a theory about this, as they believe implementing the pill navigation would systemic OTA (over-the-air) updates to millions upon millions of Android smartphones, which may or “may not be feasible.” So, to get Circle to Search out sooner to people, the navigation option will have to be pushed back a bit. The three-button solution is easier to implement.

There is no word on when the update will arrive, but we hope it’s soon, as it is a great feature and currently a highlight for the Galaxy and Pixel devices that have it. 

While you're here, be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best Android phones for 2024.

You might also like



via Hosting & Support
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Web Hosting
Remote IT Support
Sites & Socials

Popular posts from this blog

Last orders! Breville’s Birthday Sale ends in 24 hours – save an extra 10% on already-discounted espresso machines with our exclusive code

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support It’s been a busy month for coffee machine maestro, Breville. Not only did it celebrate International Coffee Day at the start of the month, but this October is also the company’s birthday month. And to mark the occasion, you can save up to AU$550 on a range of top-performing espresso machines . And that’s not all, as you can save a further 10% on discounted models with our exclusive Breville coupon code . Alternatively, you can use our exclusive promo code sitewide on the complete range of Breville appliances. You’ll need to hurry though, as the Breville Birthday Sale comes to a close at 11:30pm AEDT 21 October. Breville is, of course, responsible for some of the best coffee machines in Australia , and as a result, it can make choosing the ideal model for your household a little bit trickier. To help guide you to cafe-quality coffee at home, I’ve picked out so...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mova V70 Ultra Complete review: a full-featured robovac let down by subpar performance

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support Mova V70 Ultra Complete: Two-minute review If you've never heard of Mova as a brand, you're not alone as it was initially only available in select European and South-East Asian countries. The brand, which is owned by Dreame Technology, is now expanding and is supposed to be value-focused side of the company — although you'd be hard pressed to believe that when its latest flagship robot vacuum costs upwards $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$3,000. However, the Mova V70 Ultra Complete brings everything you expect from such an expensive robovac, including some industry-first features that are now being adopted by other brands. This includes suction that's a whopping 42,000Pa at its maximum, as well as the impressively long reach of the side brush and mopping arm (12cm and 17cm respectively). I even love the fact that it eliminates the need for dust bags by us...
Post a Comment
Read more

UK small businesses are spending big on Anthropic — but OpenAI isn't far behind as expenditure on AI tools hits new high

Web Hosting & Remote IT Support An estimated 1 out of every 8 UK small and medium businesses are paying for AI tools Over 28% of SMEs are using two or more AI platforms Publishing is the main UK sector adopting AI British SMEs are moving toward AI solutions, with adoption increasing from 1.1% in 2023 to 12.8% in 2026, new research has claimed. The study , by small business credit card providers Capital on Tap, also shows that while smaller companies may have more modest budgets, they’re still happy to spread their bets when it comes to choosing an AI solution. Over 28% of SMEs are using multiple AI platforms – with Anthropic’s Claude just edging out OpenAI’s ChatGPT, with the average quarterly spend growing to a quarterly average of £75.60 per SME. SMEs explore AI Anthropic is the most popular AI provider among British SMEs according to the research, with those businesses devoting 54.1% of ...
Post a Comment
Read more