How using Circle to Search on my Pixel made 3 other apps totally useless

27 Jun 2026, 12:15 by Sanuj Bhatia · Android Police

Circle to Search has been around on Android for a couple of years now.

But based on how Google markets it, you'd think it's only useful for identifying products on social media and giving you a quick way to buy them.

However, that really isn't the case anymore. Google has steadily added new features to Circle to Search since launch, turning it into something much more useful than a shopping tool.

And I believe at this point, it's one of the most versatile features on Android.

I've been using Circle to Search more and more on my Google Pixel 10 Pro over the past few months, especially after some of the newer updates.

It's become so useful that it has effectively replaced three apps on my phone.

7 ingenious ways to use Google's Circle to Search feature

Search what's on your screen with ease

Posts 1
By Faith Leroux

Circle to Search makes Google Translate feel redundant

Most of my translation needs are now handled without opening another app

Let's start with the most obvious one: translation.

Google Translate has received plenty of updates over the years, and Gemini also makes translation easier than ever.

Still, I find myself using Circle to Search's translation feature more than any dedicated translation app.

All you do is invoke Circle to Search and tap the Translate icon.

It instantly translates the text on your screen and overlays the translated version on top of the original text, making it easy to read without jumping between apps.

Circle to Search has become my default music finder

I no longer need a separate app to identify songs around me

If you've ever wished your Android phone had something like Pixel's Now Playing feature, Circle to Search can basically do that too.

When I hear a song playing around me that I don't recognize, I launch Circle to Search and tap the music icon. It immediately starts listening to the audio around me.

A few seconds later, Google identifies the song and opens a search page with the song open.

From there, it displays information about that song as well as quick buttons to play it on YouTube, YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, and other supported services.

It has also replaced a handful of utility apps for me

From copying text to scanning QR codes, it handles far more than you'd expect

The biggest app replacement for me, though, has been OCR and QR scanning tools.

Take Instagram or TikTok as an example. A creator might mention a product and leave a link somewhere in the post's caption or comments, but these social media apps don't let you directly select or copy that text.

Instead, you're left with the option to take a screenshot of that and then copy the link.

Circle to Search completely bypasses that limitation.

You can invoke Circle to Search anywhere, highlight text on the screen, copy it, search it, or even open links directly.

Since it uses optical character recognition, it can pull text from almost anything displayed on your screen.

And it works brilliantly with QR codes.

If you come across a QR code while browsing on your phone, you no longer need to grab another device or open a separate QR scanner app.

Just launch Circle to Search, and it will recognize the code and offer to open it immediately.

The new Google Search widget is a game changer that you should download ASAP

A small shortcut with big potential

Posts 4
By Nick Todorov

Circle to Search is much more than a product-finding tool

At this point, Circle to Search is far more than the shopping tool Google originally marketed it as.

The company has continued to add useful features since launch, and it has quietly become one of the AI tools I rely on the most every day.

Circle to Search is available on most Android phones released since 2024, including most Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones.

If you haven't tried it yet, you can launch it by pressing and holding the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.

If the feature isn't enabled on your device, open the Settings app, search for Circle to Search, and turn it on.

That said, Circle to Search isn't the only useful AI-powered tool available on Android phones.

Google and other Android manufacturers have quietly added several genuinely helpful AI features over the past couple of years, and many of them are worth exploring.