Phonewell
Search anything on your screen by circling it
Circle to Search, step by step on Samsung, Pixel and Xiaomi phones.
Why it helps
See a pair of shoes in a video or a word you do not know? Circle it and get results without leaving the app.
What you'll notice
Holding the bottom bar dims the screen, and whatever you circle is searched, translated or identified.
When to use it
When you see something on screen you want to know more about, then touch and hold the bar at the bottom and circle it.
How to set it up
Pick your phone.
Samsung Galaxy
- Settings
- Display
- Navigation bar
- Circle to Search
- Open Settings, then "Display" and "Navigation bar"
- Make sure "Circle to Search" is on
- Touch and hold the navigation handle or the home button
- Circle, tap or scribble over what you want to search
Based on reports from owners and the tech press. We have not yet checked it on a phone ourselves.
Google Pixel
- Settings
- System
- Circle to Search
- Open Settings, then "System" and "Circle to Search"
- Make sure it is turned on
- Touch and hold the navigation handle or the home button
- Circle, tap or scribble over what you want to search
Taken from the phone maker's own help pages.
Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO
- Navigation handle
- Touch and hold the navigation handle at the bottom of the screen
- Circle, tap or scribble over what you want to search
- If nothing happens, your model does not have it yet
Taken from the phone maker's own help pages.
How to undo it
Switch "Circle to Search" off in the same settings screen.
Labels can differ. Menu names and their order vary between models and can change with a system update. If a step doesn't match your phone, search Settings for the feature name or one of its other names: google lens, search screen, circle search, visual search.