Google Brings Circle to Search to Desktop Users
Google is expanding its innovative Circle to Search feature beyond mobile devices, bringing it to desktop Chrome browsers and ChromeOS. This move marks a significant step in making visual search more accessible across platforms.
 |
|---|
| Google Lens integration now enables desktop users to utilize the Circle to Search feature directly in Chrome |
What is Circle to Search?
Circle to Search, introduced earlier this year on select Android phones, allows users to search for anything on their screen by simply circling or highlighting it. This intuitive feature eliminates the need for typing queries, making searches faster and more contextual.
 |
|---|
| Accessing search functionalities in Chrome allows users to easily utilize Circle to Search for efficient visual searches |
Desktop Implementation: Drag to Search
On desktops, the feature is called Drag to Search and works similarly to its mobile counterpart:
- ChromeOS: Users can access it via a new Google Lens icon in the address bar.
- Windows/Mac: It's available as Search with Google Lens in the overflow menu.
Once activated, users can select any area of their screen to initiate a search. Results appear in a side panel, allowing for seamless browsing while exploring search results.
 |
|---|
| An example of using Drag to Search, allowing users to select areas of the screen for quick visual searches |
Availability and Rollout
The feature is currently live in:
- ChromeOS 127 beta
- Chrome 128 beta
It's expected to roll out to stable versions soon, making it accessible to a broader user base.
Impact and Future Prospects
This expansion of Circle to Search technology to desktops signifies Google's commitment to evolving search capabilities across all platforms. As AI integration becomes more prevalent, features like Drag to Search could become integral to how we interact with digital content.
While its long-term impact remains to be seen, the wider availability of this tool on desktops could lead to increased adoption and potentially change how users approach online searches.
As Google continues to refine and expand this technology, we may see further integration with other AI-powered tools, such as Google Gemini, enhancing the overall search experience for users across all devices.
Update: Wednesday July 31 15:55
In addition to expanding Circle to Search to desktop platforms, Google has introduced new AI image detection capabilities to the feature. This update allows users to gain more context about images, potentially identifying AI-generated content. The system utilizes metadata to display camera information and creation dates, can detect Google's DeepMind Synth Watermark on AI images, and provides additional context by showing related uses of images across the web. These new image detection features are gradually rolling out and are available on supported Android devices and within Google Lens on iOS, accessible in 40 languages worldwide. This enhancement makes Circle to Search a more comprehensive tool for visual information discovery and authentication in an era of increasing synthetic media prevalence.