Nothing phones running Nothing OS 3.0 get Circle to Search AI feature

Nothing shared via a community post that Circle to Search is now available on the Phone 2, Phone 2a, and Phone 2a Plus.

In Short

• Circle to Search is now available for Nothing Phone 2, Phone 2a and Phone 2a Plus
• These devices must be running Nothing OS 3.0 based on Android 15
• Circle to Search lets you search for anything on your screen by drawing a circle around it

Google’s Circle to Search feature is making its way to more devices, including those from Nothing. First introduced at the beginning of 2024 alongside the Galaxy S24 series, Circle to Search has quickly become one of Android’s most useful features. Initially, it was exclusive to select Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy flagship phones. However, after about eight months, Google expanded its availability to other brands, including Xiaomi, Oppo, and Motorola. Now, Nothing has joined the list, bringing the feature to its smartphones.

In a community post, Nothing shared that Circle to Search is now available on the Phone 2, Phone 2a, and Phone 2a Plus. These devices must be running Nothing OS 3.0, which is based on Android 15. The company explained that the feature wasn’t included in the initial release of Nothing OS 3.0 because it required additional testing.

To use Circle to Search on Nothing phones, you’ll need to enable it first. Head to Settings > Special features > Gestures > Navigation mode > Circle to Search. If you don’t see the option right away, Nothing suggests rebooting your phone and trying again. The feature works with both gesture navigation and the traditional 3-button navigation, so you can use it no matter how you’ve set up your phone’s interface.

Circle to Search is a simple but powerful tool. It lets you search for anything on your screen by drawing a circle around it. Whether it’s an image, text, or even a location, you can quickly get more information without having to copy and paste anything into Google Lens. This makes searching easier and faster for everyday tasks. For instance, you can use Circle to Search to look up a word’s meaning, translate text from an image, find details about a place, or even get directions.

Google has also been improving Circle to Search since its launch. One of the latest updates added the ability to search for songs, making it even more useful. There are hints that Google is working on more upgrades, like enabling Circle to Search within videos. As for Nothing’s other devices, the company noted that Circle to Search will roll out to them once they receive the Android 15-based Nothing OS 3.0 update. This includes Phone 2a models sold in Japan and possibly the CMF Phone 1, which should also get the feature with its stable Android 15 release.