Google has announced a significant update to its Circle to Search feature which makes the image-based search feature more powerful and nuanced. The original version of circle to search made it possible to highlight a section of an image and use it as the basis for a search, and the update means that it is now possible to include more than one part of an image in the search.
While this sounds quite exciting – and it undeniably is – there are some limitations to keep in mind. Specifically, it is something that will only be available to a very small number of people, although this is likely to change over time.
Currently limited to just the Samsung Galaxy S26 series and Pixel 10, Google highlights the update as giving people a way to try on outfits on a virtual catwalk or in a virtual fitting room. The feature is built on Gemini 3, and other potential uses Google puts forward is that it could be used to compile a mood board and more.
In a blog post about the changes, Google says that Circle to Search now gives you the ability to be “inspired by everything you see”:
Let’s say you’re scrolling on your phone, and you see a breathtaking photo of a variety of vibrant, colorful fish. You want to explore more. Instead of wondering what’s what, just circle all the fish on your screen and ask “what are all these fish, and how do they coexist?” Circle to Search will identify each unique species you’ve selected, from the Honeycomb Filefish to the Moon Jellyfish. Beyond just naming them and surfacing related images, it will explain the science behind their underwater community, and give you links out to the web to dive deeper.
Providing some details about how the system works, Google goes on to say:
This next-generation Circle to Search experience is made possible by Gemini 3’s agentic planning, reasoning and tool capabilities, which also enhances our visual query fan-out technique. Instead of simply looking for a single match, the model now thinks through a multi-step plan to get you the best results for everything you search on your screen. It automatically identifies the most important parts of an image to crop, runs several searches at once, and cross-references what it finds to compile a final response — including images from across the web — for each item you’ve searched.
Going to to suggest how the feature could be used, the post continues:
It’s also now easier to virtually try on items when inspiration strikes. In the countries where shoppers can already try on clothes from product listings across Google, now they can enter their virtual dressing room right from Circle to Search on the Samsung Galaxy S26 series or Pixel 10 devices. See an outfit on your social feed that you want to replicate? Just circle it, find the look, and select “Try On” to see it on you.
