Arabella Asis Tech 03.05.2024 20:Mar PM EST

Circle to Search Coming to Pixel 7, 7 Pro, Skips Pixel Fold

Google announced at the March Feature Drop that the Circle to Search feature will start rolling out to Pixel 7 and 7 Pro.

Also announced at the event were the improvements to the Call Screen, Fast Pair, Ultra HD photos to Instagram and more.

(Photo : ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)

Circle to Search Debuts on Pixel 7, 7 Pro

Some compatible devices have started to receive the updated feature, while some users can expect it to be available over the following weeks. Users do not have to take any action as the access will be automatically enabled as long the Google app is up-to-date.

Once available, users can try the feature by long-pressing the gesture navigation handle to activate Circle to Search. The three-button navigation replaces the Google Assistant activation method.

The search bar will appear at the bottom, while a filter will capture the entire screen. Users can start circling, tapping, or crossing out any relevant item that they want to search. Despite moving to a slightly older Pixel version, Google decided to exclude the function yet to the Pixel Fold.

Google Upgrades Various Features From Pixel Tablet to Pixel 7a

Google also launched a couple of enhancements to some of its existing features. The Call Screen, activated when the phone is in silent mode, allows users to tap a generated response like "Hello?" or "I'll be right there." The feature is now available to Pixel 6 and latest models.

As for the Fast Pair, screen sharing, and Docs markups, Google enhanced these tools for all its Pixel devices, from its Tablet to Pixel 5a (5G).

Pixel 7, 7 Pro, Fold, 8 and 8 Pro users can now upload Ultra HDR photos and 10-bit HDR videos to Instagram. Users must enable both settings in the Pixel Camera app.