Google’s Circle to Search feels like a modern take on a very old Android feature.
Today Google and Samsung introduced Circle to Search, a new way of searching for information about something on your phone’s screen without switching apps.
I’ve been at The Verge long enough to remember Now on Tap — an Android feature that Google announced way back in 2015. The concept was very similar: hold down the home button, and Google would hunt for more details about whatever content was on your display at that moment.
They’re not identical, mind you. With the newer approach, you’re circling something to make your interest much more obvious. And AI smarts have (hopefully) come a long way compared to Now on Tap’s inconsistent performance.
