Circle to Search may soon add support for message bubbles
Circle to Search could soon work even if the message bubbles expand, after Google’s Android 15 update rolls out to users, according to a report. Currently, Google’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered visual search tool stops working as soon as a message bubble appears on the screen. However, this functionality could soon change. The development comes after Google is reportedly expanding its Circle to Search feature to more devices, ending its exclusivity on Samsung and Google handsets.
Circle to find message bubble extension
Android Authority reports that Google’s AI-powered Circle to Search feature may soon work even when message bubbles appear in floating windows. Currently, the visual search tool overlay doesn’t appear on-screen when a chat bubble is opened. Circle to Search is invoked by long-pressing the home button or the navigation bar, both of which are inaccessible when message bubbles are opened.
After diving into the source code for Android 15, the publication found references for enabling Circle to Search when message bubbles are opened. The feature allows users to highlight an area on the screen by drawing a circle around it, enabling visual web search. It supports actions such as doodling, circling, or drawing over an object and text on the screen.
The publication was able to activate this feature and even hinted that it won’t be long before the Mountain View tech giant introduces this feature once Android 15 is released by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for their respective devices.
Circle to Search is also expected to appear on other smartphones
A recent report suggested that Google’s Circle to Search feature could be coming to more Android smartphones soon. The Xiaomi 14T series is speculated to be one of the first devices to get it, apart from Google and Samsung. It is set to launch in Berlin on September 26.
According to the report, the AI feature is also expected to roll out on the Tecno Phantom V Fold 2, which debuted alongside the Phantom V Flip 2 on Friday.
