Google has just started to update its Circle to Search feature, which was announced with the Galaxy S25 and new Gemini tools.

The old design had a separate search bar with two round buttons for finding songs and translating text. Now, everything is packed into one simple pill-shaped box. Google chose this design after trying out a few others and decided it was the easiest to use.

When you turn on Circle to Search, the search bar slides up smoothly from the bottom of your screen. When you close it, it slides back down the same way. The background now uses bright colors, sometimes showing Google’s famous red, yellow, blue, and green.

The microphone icon matches the style of the other buttons, and the buttons to close or see more options are now inside little circles at the top corners.

What’s New in Circle to Search
Circle to Search now makes it easier to deal with numbers, emails, and web links. When you see these, the feature marks them with a special pin. If you tap on a phone number, it automatically goes into your dialer. Tap an email, and a new email starts. Click a link, and it opens in Chrome. This means one less tap for you.

Google also added AI Overviews, which give you more info when you search for places, pictures, or items.

This new Circle to Search design is starting to show up on some phones with the latest Google app beta (version 16.1.43). You might need to force stop the Google Search app to see it, but not everyone can use it yet.

Google TV is now introducing a new way for some users to stay updated with the news through a feature called “Quick News.” This was first shown at the big tech event, CES, this month.

“Quick News” is all about bringing the day’s big news stories right to your TV. It uses Gemini, an AI tool, to make short summaries of news and find related videos, mostly from YouTube.

Here’s how Google describes it on their support page:

With Gemini’s help and some human checking, “Quick News” gives you a quick look at the top news stories and shows related YouTube videos from sources you can trust. The news updates throughout the day to keep you in the loop.

Right now, not everyone can use this feature. Google is only letting some Google TV users in the US try it out this week. You’ll find “Quick News” on the “For You” page of Google TV.

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Today, Google made a big announcement at the Galaxy S25 launch, focusing on the new AI features coming to Pixel 9 phones.

If you have a Pixel 9, or are thinking about getting one, you’ll be excited to know about the fresh updates. The Google Store now has a banner that says, “New Gemini Live and Circle to Search features for Pixel 9.”

The star of the show is Gemini Live, which lets you talk about the photos, files, and videos on your phone. Here’s how it works:

• Images: You can add a photo to your chat with Gemini Live, and it will give you info or advice about it, or even help fix issues on the spot.
• Files: Share a document, and Gemini Live can talk through it with you.
• Videos: Discuss YouTube videos, getting explanations and insights in real time.

The updated Gemini interface lets you snap a new photo or pick one from your gallery. You can also ask questions about what’s on your screen, like PDFs or videos. After you upload something, you see a “Talk Live about this” button, which leads you straight into a conversation with Gemini Live, with your content highlighted in a cool blue/purple color.

These features are starting to roll out today for the Pixel 9 series, along with the Galaxy S24 and S25. They’ll come to older Pixel models like the Pixel 6 soon.

Google also teased Project Astra, which will add screen sharing and live video streaming to Gemini in the coming months. Plus, they’re rolling out Deep Research for Gemini Advanced users on mobile, following its web debut last month.

Right now, you can use Gemini to handle multiple tasks at once, like asking for lunch recipes and saving them to Google Keep, or sharing activity ideas with friends via Google Messages.

Beyond Gemini, there’s Circle to Search, which gives you quick AI insights on whatever you circle on your screen, whether it’s a place, an image, or a URL. This feature also makes it easy to call, email, or browse with just one tap. The new design for Circle to Search looks clean, with all options in a handy pill-shaped box, though it’s not fully available yet.

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