Plus, the feature is now integrated with Google's AI Overviews.
Today may seem like it’s all about the Galaxy S25, but if you use an older Android phone, there’s something new for you too. Starting today, Google is rolling out an enhanced version of Circle to Search to all Android devices.
As a reminder, Circle to Search is an AI-powered feature Google released at the start of last year. You can access it by long-pressing your phone’s home button and then circling something with your finger. At its most basic, the feature is a way to use Google Search from anywhere on your phone, with no need to switch between apps. It’s particularly useful if you want to conduct an image search since you don’t need to take a screenshot or describe what you’re looking at to Google.
As for those enhancements I mentioned, Google is adding one-tap actions for phone numbers, email addresses and URLs, meaning if Circle to Search detects those, it will allow you to call, email or visit a website with a single tap. Again, there’s no need to switch between apps to interact with those elements.
In less exciting news, Google is bringing AI Overviews to Circle to Search. As long as your device is set to English, the company’s AI-generated Search summaries will appear when relevant. Google said it was preparing to greatly expand the availability of AI Overviews when it debuted Gemini 2.0 at the end of last year, so the fact they’re now integrated with Circle to Search should not come as a surprise. As with any Google release, it may take a few days before you see today’s update arrive on your device.
Engadget review recap: Samsung's Galaxy S25 phones, OnePlus 13 and Oura Ring 4
A roundup of all the recently tested devices from our team.
We may bit a post-CES news lull some days, but the reviews are coming in hot and heavy as February begins. Samsung has already debuted its latest premium phones and we've published a few long-term reviews of devices we've been testing for months. In this installment of the reviews roundup, we've got phones, a wearable, a robot vacuum and a smart grill. There's something for everyone this week.
For 2025, Samsung’s AI features are a bit more powerful and easier to use. However, aside from a faster chip, a new ultra-wide sensor and a few cosmetic tweaks, it looks and feels very similar to last year’s model, which makes the S25 Ultra a less impressive update than it should be considering it starts at $1,300.