Short answer: to use Circle to Search on a Samsung Galaxy, press and hold the Home button (or the navigation handle at the bottom of the screen if you use swipe gestures), then circle, highlight, scribble on or tap whatever you want to search. Google’s results slide up from the bottom without you leaving the app. It’s switched on by default on supported Galaxy phones and tablets running One UI 6.1 or later; if nothing happens, turn it on in Settings → Display → Navigation bar → Circle to Search. It’s Google’s feature, it needs an internet connection, and it doesn’t work in apps that block screenshots, such as banking apps and Netflix.
Updated for One UI 9 (Android 17) · Last checked October 11, 2026 · By Stephen Jacob
Circle to Search is the Galaxy AI feature most owners use every day, and it came first in our ranking of every Galaxy AI feature. This guide covers all of it: setup, every way to start it, every gesture, everything it can do, what Google sees, how it compares with Google Lens and Bixby Vision, and what to do when it won’t open. For the rest of Samsung’s AI features, which phones get them and how Samsung handles your data, start with our complete Galaxy AI guide.
Circle to Search at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it is | A Google Search gesture that searches whatever is on your screen, without switching apps |
| Made by | Google. Samsung includes it in Galaxy AI as “Circle to Search with Google” |
| Launched | January 31, 2024, on the Galaxy S24 series and Pixel 8 and 8 Pro |
| Galaxy software needed | Android 14 with One UI 6.1 or later |
| How to start it | Press and hold the Home button, or the navigation handle with swipe gestures |
| Gestures | Circle, highlight, scribble or tap (with a finger or the S Pen) |
| Main setting | Settings → Display → Navigation bar → Circle to Search |
| Needs internet | Yes, every time |
| Cost | Free |
| Won’t work in | Apps that block screen capture (banking, medical, many streaming apps) |
| Latest big update | February 25, 2026: multi-object search powered by Gemini 3, first on the Galaxy S26 series and Pixel 10 |
What is Circle to Search, and who makes it?
Circle to Search is a Google feature that lets you search anything on your phone’s screen with a gesture. Google describes it as “a new way to search anything on your Android phone without switching apps” (Google). It launched on January 31, 2024, on the Galaxy S24 series and the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, and by February 2026 Google said it was on more than 580 million Android devices (9to5Google).
Behind the gesture it’s Google Search and Google Lens. When you circle something, the phone captures the screen, sends the part you selected to Google, and shows image matches, web results and, when Google thinks it helps, an AI Overview. Since February 2026 it runs on Google’s Gemini 3 models, which split an image into parts, search each part and combine the results (Google).
Is Circle to Search a Samsung or a Google feature?
Google’s. Samsung markets it under Galaxy AI and calls it “Circle to Search with Google,” and Samsung’s own support page describes it as “a Google-powered feature on Galaxy devices” (Samsung UK). That has three practical effects:
- Google updates it, not Samsung. New Circle to Search features arrive through the Google app on the Play Store, not through One UI updates.
- Google’s privacy terms apply. Your searches go to your Google account, not your Samsung account (see privacy).
- It isn’t exclusive to Galaxy. Pixel phones and many other Android phones have it too. On Galaxy phones sold in mainland China, Samsung uses Baidu instead of Google for its AI features, including this one (SamMobile).
Which Galaxy phones and tablets have Circle to Search?
Samsung says Circle to Search is on “select Galaxy phones and tablets running Android 14 with One UI 6.1 or higher” (Samsung US). In practice that’s every Galaxy AI phone plus a wide spread of A series models. Samsung UK’s support page lists the models up to the S25 generation, and Samsung’s later launch material adds the newer ones:
| Galaxy family | Models with Circle to Search | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S | S26, S26+, S26 Ultra · S25, S25+, S25 Ultra, S25 Edge · S24 series and S24 FE · S23 series and S23 FE · S22 series · S21 series and S21 FE | Samsung UK, Samsung Newsroom (S26) |
| Galaxy Z | Z Fold8 series and Z Flip8 · Z Fold7 and Z Flip7 · Z Fold6, Fold5, Fold4, Fold3 · Z Flip6, Flip5, Flip4, Flip3 | Samsung UK; the Fold8 and Fold7 generations ship with Galaxy AI |
| Galaxy A | A57 and A37 (with multi-object recognition) · A56, A55, A54, A36, A35, A34, A26, A25, A24, A25e · A17 · A07 5G in selected markets | Samsung UK, Samsung Newsroom, MDS Mobile (A17, UAE) |
| Galaxy Tab | Tab S10 Ultra, S10+, S10, S10 FE+, S10 FE · Tab S9 series, S9 FE+, S9 FE · Tab S8 series · Tab Active5, Active5 Pro · Tab A10+ | Samsung UK |
Sources: Samsung UK, Samsung Newsroom (A07 5G), Samsung Newsroom (S26), MDS Mobile UAE.
Samsung UK’s list hasn’t been updated past the S25 generation, so newer tablets such as the Tab S11 and Tab S12 aren’t on it; Samsung’s Tab S12 launch material does describe Galaxy AI on those tablets. Availability can also vary by country. If your phone’s model name is new to you, our guide to every Galaxy device family explains the S, Z and A lines, and the Galaxy AI device table shows which other AI features each one gets.
How to check whether your Galaxy has it
- Update the phone: Settings → Software update → Download and install.
- Update the Google app in the Play Store.
- Open Settings → Display → Navigation bar and scroll to the bottom.
- If you see a Circle to Search switch, your phone supports it. Samsung says checking this menu is “a simple way to confirm whether Circle to Search is supported” (Samsung Canada).
How to turn on Circle to Search on a Samsung Galaxy
Circle to Search is on by default on supported Galaxy phones. If it isn’t working, or you turned it off, here’s how to switch it on:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Display.
- Tap Navigation bar.
- Scroll to the bottom and turn on Circle to Search (Samsung US).
- The first time you use it, accept the permission prompt or tap Continue.
Samsung’s published steps cover One UI 6.1.1 to 8.5. The same path appears on One UI 9 in our S26 Ultra tips guide, but Samsung hasn’t yet updated its own instructions for One UI 9, so treat the One UI 9 wording as unconfirmed.
Navigation buttons vs swipe gestures
The switch is the same for both navigation styles; what you press and hold is different. You choose the style in the same Navigation bar menu.
| Navigation style | What to hold | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Buttons (three buttons, Samsung’s default) | The Home button in the middle | The most reliable trigger. Samsung’s steps are written for this |
| Swipe gestures | The navigation handle (the thin bar at the bottom) | Android’s own guide calls this “Hold handle to search”; on a Galaxy the switch is still labelled Circle to Search. Leave the handle visible |
Samsung’s Hong Kong support page confirms you “touch and hold the Home button or the navigation handle at the bottom of the phone screen to activate the Circle to Search feature” (Samsung HK). Which style to pick is a personal choice; our navigation and gesture settings section recommends swipe gestures for the extra screen space, and setting 26 has the full menu path.
Check the assistant permission
Circle to Search runs through your phone’s digital assistant setting. If it’s set wrong, you’ll see “Screen search isn’t available” instead of the glow:
- Open Settings → Apps.
- Tap Choose default apps, then Digital assistant app.
- Make sure the assistant app is Google.
- Turn on Analyze on-screen images (Samsung US). Google’s help page calls the same switch Use screen and app data (Google).
Every way to start Circle to Search
| Trigger | How | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Hold the Home button | Press and hold Home in the middle of the button bar | Every supported Galaxy with button navigation |
| Hold the navigation handle | Press and hold the bar at the bottom of the screen | Every supported Galaxy with swipe gestures |
| In the Camera app | Open Camera, point it at the object, then hold Home or the handle and circle it in the viewfinder | Galaxy phones (Samsung lists this) |
| With the S Pen | Start Circle to Search as above, then circle with the pen instead of your finger | S Pen phones and tablets, such as the S26 Ultra and Tab S series |
Samsung lists the Camera trick: “For the Camera app, point your phone at the item first, then hold the Home icon” (Samsung US). Two buttons people often confuse with Circle to Search: holding the side button opens Gemini (or Bixby, if you chose it), and swiping in from a bottom corner opens the digital assistant. Neither starts Circle to Search.
Every Circle to Search gesture: circle, highlight, scribble and tap
When Circle to Search starts, the screen freezes behind a coloured glow and a search bar appears. Then:
- Circle an object, a person’s outfit, a landmark or a product. This is the gesture the feature is named after.
- Highlight text by swiping across it, the way you’d run a highlighter over a line.
- Scribble over anything if circling is fiddly. A rough zigzag works.
- Tap a single object, word or logo. Google picks out its outline for you.
- Lift your finger (or the S Pen) and the search starts. Results appear in the lower half of the screen; swipe up to see more.
Google lists the four gestures in its help page (Google). The other controls you can use once it’s open:
| To do this | Do this |
|---|---|
| Change the selection | Drag the edges of the selection box, or drag the whole box |
| Move content hidden behind the search bar | Pan with two fingers, or drag the search bar to the top or bottom |
| Search the whole screen | Tap the search bar without selecting anything |
| Add words to your search | Type or say them in the search bar (“Ask anything” on the newest version) |
| Search by voice | Tap the microphone in the bar |
| Translate the screen | Tap Translate next to the search bar |
| Identify a song | Tap the music note |
| Remove the screenshot from your search | Double-tap the screenshot thumbnail, or press backspace on the keyboard |
| Go back to your app | Swipe down, use the back gesture, or tap X at the top left |
Sources: Google Search Help and Android Help. The icons and their order change as Google updates the app, so yours may look slightly different.
What can you do with Circle to Search?
Most people use it to identify things and shop, but Google has added a lot since 2024. Here’s each task, with the steps.
Identify anything on screen and shop for it
- Open the app with the photo or video (Instagram, Chrome, Gallery, YouTube and so on).
- Hold Home or the handle and circle the item: a jacket, a plant, a dog, a building.
- Scroll the results for the name, visually similar images, shops and prices.
- To search several things at once, circle each of them, or circle the whole scene and ask a question, such as “what are all these fish?”
Multi-object search arrived on February 25, 2026, on the Galaxy S26 series and Pixel 10, with “more Android devices to follow” (Google). Samsung says the S26’s version identifies “everything from the jacket to the shoes, all in one search” (Samsung Newsroom), and the A57 and A37 also get multi-object recognition.
Find the look and Try it on: circle a whole outfit and tap Find the look to get matches for each piece. Google’s February announcement says you can then tap Try on to see clothes on yourself on the S26 series or Pixel 10, in countries where Google’s try-on already works. Google’s help page, however, now lists Try it on for Pixel 10 and Pixel 11 only, in Australia, Canada, India, Japan, the UK and the US, for signed-in users aged 18 or over (Google). In the UAE you won’t see it either way.
Translate the whole screen, even as you scroll
- Hold Home or the handle.
- Tap Translate (the translate icon next to the search bar). The text on screen is replaced with a translation in place.
- To keep translating as you scroll or switch apps, tap Scroll and translate (Google).
- Swipe down or tap X to stop.
Google says translation is “one of the most-used features in Circle to Search.” Scroll and translate started rolling out in September 2025, beginning with selected Galaxy phones. It works on web pages, messages and social media, but not on videos or GIFs. If it picks the wrong language, the language names at the top of the translated screen can be changed; this layout varies by Google app version, so we haven’t listed exact taps. To translate a single phrase instead, highlight it and tap Translate in the results.
For Arabic and English, which is what I use most in Dubai, this is handy for menus, Instagram captions and government notices. For live phone calls and face-to-face conversations, Samsung’s own Live Translate and Interpreter are the better tools.
Get help with homework and maths
- Open the question: a PDF, a photo of a worksheet or a learning app.
- Hold Home or the handle and circle the problem.
- Read the AI Overview, which breaks the problem into steps.
- Ask a follow-up, such as “explain step 2,” in the search bar.
Google added step-by-step help for maths and physics word problems in May 2024, using its LearnLM models, at first for people who opted in through Search Labs (The Verge). Google said it would add formulas, diagrams and graphs later. We couldn’t confirm whether the homework mode still needs Search Labs in 2026; in practice the AI Overview and AI Mode answers now handle most of these questions. Check the working: AI answers can be wrong.
Search for a song, or hum one
- Hold Home or the handle.
- Tap the music note next to the search bar.
- Let it listen to music playing on the phone or nearby, or sing, hum or whistle the tune.
- Tap the result to open the song, with links to play it in YouTube, YouTube Music, Spotify and other apps.
Google’s help page says the music search works on “the audio that plays around you, or through speakers on your device” (Google). Song search reached Galaxy phones in August 2024, and Android Police reported at the time that it supports hum-to-search and sing-to-search too (Android Police).
Scan QR codes and barcodes on screen
- Open the page, image or screenshot with the code.
- Hold Home or the handle.
- Circle to Search reads the code automatically and shows a chip with the link or product. Tap it.
Automatic scanning arrived in August and September 2024 (Android Central). This is for codes already on your screen. For a code on paper, open the Galaxy Camera and point it at the code, or use the Scan QR code tile in Quick settings (Samsung US).
Ask follow-up questions with AI Overviews and AI Mode
- Circle, tap or highlight something.
- If Google decides an AI answer helps, an AI Overview appears above the regular results.
- Type a follow-up question in the Ask anything bar at the bottom, or tap AI Mode. Older versions show “Dive deeper with AI Mode” at the end of the AI Overview.
- Keep asking; AI Mode answers in a chat and keeps the context of what you circled.
Google brought AI Mode into Circle to Search on July 9, 2025, starting in the US and India (Google), and from late 2025 follow-up questions started going to AI Mode by default (Android Police). The February 2026 update moved the search bar to the bottom of the screen and made the experience “more like a chat” (9to5Google). Samsung’s current steps also say to “tap AI mode at the bottom for context-relevant follow-up queries” (Samsung US). AI Mode itself has been available in the Middle East and North Africa in English since August 2025 and in Arabic since October 2025 (Google MENA).
Copy text from anything on screen
- Hold Home or the handle.
- Highlight the text, or tap it.
- Tap Select text, adjust the selection, then tap Copy to put it on the clipboard. Translate is in the same place (Samsung US).
This works on text inside images, screenshots and apps that won’t let you select text normally. For a photo already in Gallery, Samsung’s own text recognition works too, and doesn’t need Google: see hidden feature 23.
Search a frame of a video
- Play the video in YouTube, Instagram, TikTok or a browser.
- Hold Home or the handle when the thing you want is on screen. The video pauses on that frame.
- Circle the item in the frozen frame.
Samsung says Circle to Search “also works with screenshots” and can be used “to search for items shown in videos or animations” (Samsung Canada). It won’t work in streaming apps that block screen capture, such as Netflix; you’ll get a black screen or an error.
Check whether a message is a scam
- Open the suspicious text, WhatsApp message or web page. Don’t tap any link in it.
- Hold Home or the handle and circle the message.
- Read the AI Overview, which says whether it looks like a scam, why, and what to do next.
Google added this on December 2, 2025. It’s “available globally in Circle to Search and Lens,” but it only appears “when our systems have high confidence in the quality of the response” (Google). If no assessment appears, ask “is this a scam?” in the search bar. It’s Google’s feature and separate from the Scam Detection Google built into Samsung’s Phone app on the S26. Treat the answer as a second opinion: if a message claims to be from your bank or a government service, contact them through their official app or number.
Check whether a photo is real or edited
Google’s help page now says Circle to Search “can also check for transparency by detecting if photos are original or modified” (Google). Circle the image and look for the image details in the results. Google doesn’t publish which signals it reads, and an image with no information isn’t proof that it’s real.
Get help in mobile games
Since July 2025 you can circle a character or a level in a mobile game and get an AI Overview with tips and suggested videos, in countries where AI Overviews are available (Google). Games that block screen capture won’t work.
What’s new in Circle to Search in 2026 and One UI 9
| Date | Change | Galaxy availability |
|---|---|---|
| February 25, 2026 | Multi-object search powered by Gemini 3; Find the look; the search bar moves to the bottom as an “Ask anything” chat bar | S26 series first; “more Android devices to follow” |
| February 2026 | Try on clothes from Circle to Search (announced for S26 and Pixel 10) | Google’s help now lists Pixel only; not in the UAE |
| May 2026 (Google app beta) | “Search using your whole screen” renamed Ask about screen; it can include the page’s URL and the content of PDFs | Beta only when reported; not confirmed in the stable app (Android Headlines) |
| 2026 | Photo transparency check (original or modified) | Listed in Google’s help without a device limit |
| One UI 9 (from July 2026) | No Circle to Search change from Samsung. One UI 9 adds a separate home screen search bar (Google, Samsung’s Finder, both or neither) | See setting 29 |
Scam detection (December 2025) and AI Mode follow-ups (from July 2025) are covered above. Circle to Search in the Pixel 11’s own camera app is a Pixel-only feature; on a Galaxy you use the Camera trick in every way to start it. For everything else in Samsung’s latest update, see our One UI 9 guide.
Circle to Search privacy: what does Google see?
When you use Circle to Search, Google sees what you select and what you type, and keeps your searches in your Google account like any other search. The details, from Google and Samsung:
- Nothing happens until you act twice. Google says the feature needs “two clear actions”: you start it, then you pick what to search. It “only starts a search using the selected part of your screen” (Google Public Policy).
- Searching the whole screen sends the whole screen. If you tap the search bar without selecting anything, Google searches the full screenshot. The Ask about screen version in testing can also include the page’s address and PDF contents.
- Screenshots aren’t saved to your history by default. Google says “by default Google doesn’t save images from the Circle to Search to a user’s search history.”
- Your searches are. Samsung says past searches “are saved along with other Google searches and can be managed with Google” (Samsung US), under Google’s Web & App Activity setting.
- No face matching. Google says results “are never based on biometrics matching.” Circling a photo of a friend won’t find other photos of that friend online.
- It’s cloud-only. Circle to Search needs the internet every time. Galaxy AI’s Process data only on device switch controls Samsung’s own features, not this one; the Galaxy AI privacy section explains what that switch covers.
- Sensitive apps are excluded. It doesn’t work in apps that block screen capture, which includes most banking and medical apps.
To delete recent searches: open Circle to Search, tap the three-dot menu at the top right and choose the option to delete the last 15 minutes of history (Google Public Policy). For older searches, open myactivity.google.com or the Google app’s search history and delete them there.
How to turn off Circle to Search
- Open Settings.
- Tap Display, then Navigation bar.
- Turn off the switch next to Circle to Search (Samsung US).
Holding Home or the handle then does nothing, and the rest of Galaxy AI keeps working. Samsung’s steps are for One UI 6.1.1 to 8.5; on One UI 9, if the switch isn’t where you expect, type “Circle to Search” in the search box at the top of Settings, which is the route Google’s own help gives for all Android phones (Google). Turning it off doesn’t delete past searches; do that in your Google account as described in privacy. To turn off other Galaxy AI features, see how to turn Galaxy AI features on or off.
Circle to Search vs Google Lens vs Bixby Vision
Galaxy phones have four ways to search what you see. They overlap, but each starts in a different place.
| Circle to Search | Google Lens | Bixby Vision | AI Select | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | Samsung | Samsung | ||
| Where it starts | Hold Home or the handle, from any app | Google app, Chrome, Google Photos, or the Lens icon inside Circle to Search | Camera (More → Bixby Vision), Gallery, Samsung Internet | Edge panel, screenshot toolbar, S Pen Air command |
| Best for | Anything already on your screen | The real world through the camera, and iPhone users | Live camera translation and reading text aloud | Acting on what’s on screen: GIFs, wallpaper, Samsung Wallet, translation |
| Search engine | Google Search, AI Overviews, AI Mode | Google Search, AI Overviews, AI Mode | Samsung’s lenses, with partners such as Pinterest for Discover | Samsung’s on-device tools plus Galaxy AI |
| Works on iPhone | No (Lens in the Google app and Chrome is the closest) | Yes | No | No |
| Needs internet | Yes | Yes | Yes, Samsung says | Depends on the action |
Sources: Google, Samsung US (Bixby Vision), our AI Select entry.
Which should you use? Circle to Search for anything on your screen; it’s the fastest and gives the best search results. Use Google Lens, or the Galaxy Camera’s built-in tools, when the thing is in front of you rather than on the screen. Bixby Vision is still useful for its accessibility lenses, such as Text reader, which reads printed text aloud. Owners report that Samsung renamed Bixby Vision “AI Vision” on some One UI 8.5 phones; we haven’t confirmed this with Samsung, so look for either name. AI Select is the one to use when you want to do something with a selection (make a GIF, set a wallpaper) rather than look it up.
Circle to Search not working? How to fix it
Most problems come from the assistant setting, the navigation style, or an app that blocks screen capture. Start with these steps, in order:
- Check it’s switched on: Settings → Display → Navigation bar → Circle to Search.
- Check the assistant: Settings → Apps → Choose default apps → Digital assistant app → Google, with Analyze on-screen images on.
- Update the Google app in the Play Store, and update the phone’s software.
- Restart the phone. Samsung’s own troubleshooting starts with a restart and a Google app update (Samsung US).
- Test in Chrome or Samsung Internet. If it works there, the problem is the other app, not your phone.
- Check your connection. It needs mobile data or Wi-Fi.
If those don’t fix it, find your symptom below.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Holding Home or the handle does nothing | The switch is off, or a work policy disabled it | Turn it on in Navigation bar; on a work phone, ask IT (see below) |
| “Screen search isn’t available” or “Circle to Search unavailable due to your settings” | Google isn’t the digital assistant, or on-screen analysis is off | Set Google as the Digital assistant app and turn on Analyze on-screen images, or tap Go to settings in the message (Samsung US) |
| No handle to hold | The gesture hint is hidden (for example with Good Lock’s NavStar) | Turn the gesture hint back on, or switch to navigation buttons |
| Stopped working after installing a launcher | A third-party launcher is your default Home app | Switch back to One UI Home: Settings → Apps → Choose default apps → Home app |
| Black screen, or nothing found, in one app | The app blocks screen capture (banking, Netflix, sometimes TikTok) | Expected. Take a photo of the screen with another device, or find the same content in a browser |
| Doesn’t work in Secure Folder or a work profile | Samsung Knox or your employer restricts screen capture | Use it outside Secure Folder; on a work profile, ask IT |
| Results are wrong or empty | Poor selection, low-quality image, or weak connection | Circle tighter, zoom in first, or add words in the search bar |
| Translation doesn’t work properly | A Google app data issue (Samsung documented it on the Tab S9) | Settings → Apps → Google → Storage → Clear data |
| Error on a Z Fold’s cover screen | Unfolding mid-search interrupts it (documented on the Z Fold5) | Use it on the main screen; keep the Google app updated |
| Feature missing entirely | Unsupported model, or software older than One UI 6.1 | Check the device table and update |
No handle, or using gestures without the bar
Circle to Search needs something to hold. With Samsung’s standard Swipe gestures the handle sits at the bottom of the screen. Samsung’s support page says it removed the “Swipe from bottom” style and the gesture hints option from One UI’s own settings, and that you now get them through Good Lock’s NavStar module (Samsung HK). If you’ve hidden the hint or switched to Swipe from bottom there, we haven’t been able to confirm that holding the bottom edge still starts Circle to Search, so turn the hint back on or use buttons if it fails.
Third-party launchers
Circle to Search is tied to the navigation bar, which Samsung’s own launcher, One UI Home, controls. Owner reports on forums say it can stop working when Nova or another launcher is set as the Home app, especially with swipe gestures; Samsung hasn’t published guidance on this. The fix is to set One UI Home back as the default (Settings → Apps → Choose default apps → Home app). The ADB commands some sites suggest are written for Pixel launchers and aren’t a supported Samsung fix.
Secure Folder, work profiles and company phones
Google says Circle to Search may not work in “banking, medical and other confidential apps” (Google). Owners consistently report it’s unavailable inside Samsung’s Secure Folder, which is built to keep its contents separate. On work phones, Android 15 lets IT administrators block it on fully managed devices or inside a work profile (Android Developers). Samsung’s Knox documentation adds that applying Knox Deep Settings Customization policies disables the press-and-hold Home function, so “Circle to Search is disabled. This is expected behavior” (Samsung Knox). Only your IT team can change that.
Region and language limits
The basic search works wherever Galaxy phones are sold with Google services; Google launched it “in all languages and locations” where the S24 and Pixel 8 were available. The extras differ: Try it on is limited to six countries, AI Mode arrived in different countries at different times, and Galaxy phones sold in mainland China use Baidu instead. In the UAE, the core search and translation work, AI Mode is available in English and Arabic, and Google says scam checks are global; Try it on isn’t offered. More on what works locally is in Galaxy AI in the UAE.
Circle to Search FAQ
How do I enable Circle to Search on a Samsung?
It’s on by default. If it isn’t working, go to Settings → Display → Navigation bar and turn on Circle to Search. Then press and hold the Home button, or the navigation handle if you use swipe gestures.
Is Circle to Search available on all Android phones?
No. It’s on selected phones from Samsung, Google and other brands, including every Pixel from the Pixel 6 onward. On Galaxy, it needs a supported model running One UI 6.1 or later, which covers the S21 series and newer flagships, Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 onward, many A series phones and most recent Galaxy Tabs.
Why is Circle to Search not showing any results?
Usually the connection, the app or the selection. Check you’re online, update the Google app, and try circling a smaller, clearer area. If the screen goes black, the app blocks screen capture. If you see “Screen search isn’t available,” set Google as the digital assistant and turn on Analyze on-screen images.
Can I use Circle to Search without the Home button?
Yes, if you use swipe gestures: press and hold the navigation handle at the bottom of the screen instead. If you’ve hidden the handle with Good Lock, show it again.
Does Circle to Search work offline?
No. Every search goes to Google’s servers, so it needs mobile data or Wi-Fi. For offline text copying from a photo, use Gallery’s text recognition instead (hidden feature 23).
Is Circle to Search free?
Yes. It’s part of Google Search, and Samsung includes it at no cost. AI Mode and AI Overviews inside it are free too. For what the rest of Galaxy AI costs, see is Galaxy AI free.
Does Circle to Search save my screenshots?
Not by default. Google says that “by default” it doesn’t save Circle to Search images to your search history, but your searches are saved with your other Google searches. You can delete the last 15 minutes from the three-dot menu, or everything in Google’s My Activity.
Can I use Circle to Search on an iPhone or a laptop?
Not the full feature, which is Android-only. On iPhone, the Google app and Chrome offer Search screen with Google Lens, which works inside those apps (Google Chrome Help). On a Windows laptop, including a Galaxy Book, the Google app for Windows lets you press Alt + Space and use Lens to select any part of the screen (Google).
Does the S26 Ultra have Circle to Search?
Yes, with multi-object search, and you can circle with the S Pen. Our S26 Ultra tips show it alongside the other Galaxy AI tools on that phone.
The bottom line
Circle to Search is the quickest way to search anything on a Galaxy screen: hold Home or the handle, circle it, read the answer, swipe away. Check three things once (the switch in Settings → Display → Navigation bar, Google as the Digital assistant app, and an up-to-date Google app) and it should just work. Learn the extras that save the most time: Translate with Scroll and translate, the music note, automatic QR scanning, Copy for text you can’t select, and follow-up questions in AI Mode. Remember that it’s Google’s feature, so your searches live in your Google account and need the internet. For the other AI tools on your phone, read our Galaxy AI guide and the ranking of every Galaxy AI feature; for the rest of Samsung’s software, see our One UI 9 guide, and for how Galaxy AI reaches your watch, tablet and earbuds, the Samsung ecosystem guide.
