Circle to Search has quickly become one of my favorite Android features of 2024. The ability to search for anything on your screen from anywhere within Android is incredibly convenient.
Fortunately, Google is expanding this feature beyond just Samsung and Pixel devices. A recent report suggests that, along with this expansion, Google may also be introducing subtle changes to the Circle to Search user interface (UI).
According to Android Authority, Google is working on adding an app drawer to Circle to Search.
The publication discovered this redesigned UI in the beta version of the Google app (v15.45.43.ve.arm64), which indicates that Google is refining the Circle to Search experience with several small UI improvements.
The updated UI for Circle to Search looks noticeably different from the current version.
UI elements like the search bar and the Song Search icon are now enclosed in a rounded box, and the icons themselves appear slightly larger.
The most prominent change, however, is the addition of an app drawer button.
In its current form, Circle to Search displays features like Translate and Song Search directly alongside the search bar.
In the new version, these features may be moved behind the app drawer button. Tapping the button would reveal additional options, including the return of the previously removed Google Lens shortcut.
Although this change may require an extra step to access some features, it could also indicate that Google plans to add more functionality to Circle to Search.
It would be even better if Google allowed us to customize this menu for quicker access to the actions we use most often.
Since the feature hasn’t officially launched yet, there’s still a possibility that Google could add this customization option in the final version.
The revamped UI isn’t the only upgrade in development. Reports also suggest that Google is working on a feature that would allow users to search within videos.
While there is no official timeline for the release of either feature, it’s exciting to see Google continue to enhance this already useful tool.
