Of all the AI features that have been integrated into Android in recent months, Circle to Search is undoubtedly one of the most practical for everyday use. It allows you to start a search on a content displayed on the screen (text, image or video) by circling the element in question with your finger. Previously, to obtain results it was necessary to copy and paste, or even save an image to perform a reverse search with google lens.
However, Circle to Search has one drawback. While it is possible, for example, to start a search by circling the text of an article or document, the function does not support the text of message bubbles in applications such as Messages o WhatsApp. The same goes for the contents multimedia. So when a contact sends you a message and you want to search for what they sent, you have to go back to your old ways, which is frustrating when you’ve gotten used to the convenience of Circle to Search.
Android 15: Circle to Search Lands in Messaging Apps
But the situation should soon be resolved. Android Authority discovered some lines of code in Android 15 Beta 4 which indicates that this limitation should be removed in a future update. The change is not operational at the moment, but colleagues have managed to activate it manually by dint of tinkering. This means that the feature is now fully compatible with message bubbles.
We can therefore expect the modification to be available by default with the stable version of Android 15 QPR1. For now, it is not included in Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2. The Android 15 Official Launch is scheduled for October 15, 2024. If last year’s release schedule is anything to go by, Android QPR1 could be rolling out to all users sometime in December, alongside the release of the monthly security patch.
Circle to Search is currently available on smartphone premium di Google e Samsungbut it will soon arrive on Xiaomi, Vivo and other brands.