C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google has rebranded Circle to Search’s “Search using your whole screen” feature to “Ask about screen” in the latest Google app beta (v17.18.24).
- The feature now automatically sends URLs, page content, and PDF data to Google to provide more contextually relevant AI-generated results.
- This functionality is currently rolling out to beta users and is expected to hit the stable branch in the coming weeks.
Google has various ways to search spread across the Android system, but Circle to Search remains one of its most useful additions. It is very convenient to trigger and very easy to run a search result, but it is a little limited in that it can only see the content on your screen. If you ever wished you could automatically add more context to a Circle to Search query, Google has heard your prayers. Changes rolling out to Circle to Search now allow users to add more context in the form of URLs and PDFs, extending beyond your visible screen content, for searching through Google Search’s AI Mode.
Circle to Search on Android already lets users attach a screenshot of their screen content to generate suggestions and search results when using the “Search using your whole screen” option. The results are processed in Google Search’s AI Mode directly for this.
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With Google app v17.18.24 beta, Google is making some changes to this process. The search box now says “Ask about screen.” While screenshots are still attached as usual, the text description now says “Search with more context.” It clarifies that “Available context, including URL, page content, and PDF documents, will automatically be sent to Google,” very likely for processing these URLs and PDFs with AI Mode.
We were able to trigger the upload of URLs and PDFs when using “Ask about screen” in Google Chrome and Files by Google, but this could potentially work with more apps.
As you can see, with the ability to upload URLs and PDFs, AI Mode via Ask about screen can give you more contextually relevant responses rather than serving responses based solely on the visible content in the screenshot.
Yes, users can already do this through the Gemini overlay in Chrome and the Files app, and that route has its own benefits, like letting you control the model being used. However, for free users, or even just those who love the convenience of Circle to Search or prefer the more summarized answers from AI Mode, this is a boon.
This change is already gradually rolling out to users in the beta branch. Presuming Google is satisfied with the test results, the change should be merged into the stable branch in the coming days and weeks.
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