Google's New Android Features Make iPhone Look Like A Search Slowpoke
Google is once again redefining how you search items appearing on your phone's screen across the web. Previously, Google Lens took the search experience from texts and added a multimedia element to it, allowing users to search with images instead of just keywords. The company recently combined both to create a multi-step search experience that saves users the hassle of follow-up web queries. In 2024, Google is making the multi-search experience even more convenient.
Moving ahead, when users open the Google app and click a picture of an object they want to look up on the web, they can simultaneously add the follow-up text query as well. So, for example, if you take a picture of a ball and it is added to the search field, you can also add a line such as "What sport is it involved in?" or "Which material is it made from?" Google says this new enhanced multi-search experience offers the convenience of asking "more complex or nuanced questions."
Moreover, when the search action is launched, users will also see an AI-generated overview at the top, which is essentially an AI-summarized version of the information present in web pages that are listed below as search links. This feature arrives for users in the U.S. this week in the Google app (both Android and iOS), while folks outside the U.S. need to opt in for the Search Generative Experience (SGE) program to access it.
AI meets Google search
Next in line is a scribble-inspired search feature called "Circle to Search." This feature saves you the chore of taking screenshots and then launching a search task in another app. All you need to do is circle, tap, or highlight an object on the screen, and relevant search results will pop right inside the app you were using.
All you need to do is long-press the navigation bar at the bottom or the home button, perform the selection gesture (tap, highlight, or draw a circle), and find relevant entries pulled up from Google Search related to it. Circle to Search also ties in the multi-search facility described above and works across a wide range of apps; be it YouTube, social media, messages, and more.
Circle to Search will start rolling out on January 31, but will be exclusive to Google Pixel 8 duo and Samsung's Galaxy S24 series phones. These phones are leveraging Google's cloud and generative AI chops, so for now, these features will be device-exclusive. Just like the Pixel 8 Pro, the Galaxy S24 is also capable of running the Gemini Nano language model on-device, speeding up AI-driven tasks, and ensuring personal data never leaves the phone.
As part of the partnership, Google is also extending on-device Magic Compose to Samsung's Galaxy S24 series phones, alongside the ability to create custom emojis from photos saved in the local gallery. Android Auto will also soon summarize texts and offer shortcuts to ensure users are focused on the road.