Circle to search // Source: ElR – Frandroid
Circle to Search, one of the flagship features of Google‘s artificial intelligence suite, allows users to get instant information about any element displayed on the screen. So far, a shortcut to Google Lens was integrated into the search barproviding easy access to image-based searches, translations or object recognition.
However, the latter has probably just disappeared from the latest version of Surround to search. According to 9To5Google, which was the first to notice the change, it appears to affect devices worldwide. What’s strange is that Google hasn’t provided any official explanation. Users are left to speculate on the reasons for this decision.
Why would Google remove this shortcut?
One theory suggests that Google reportedly seeks to simplify interface to reduce visual clutter. However, the removal of such a widely used feature, without notice, comes as a surprise to many users. Last month, Google added a song search function to Circle to Search, already leading to some visual changes. Today, the shortcut to Google Lens is disappearing.
The new version of Surround for searching // Source: William ZIMMER / FrAndroid
Previously, the field at the bottom of Circle to Search corresponded to the classic Google bar, with a “G” logo opening the Google app, voice search and Google Lens. Users could also perform a text search, followed by a musical note icon for song searches, and then a translate option.
For Pixel phone owners, the impact will be less thanks to the Google Lens shortcut present in the lower right corner of the home screen. On the other hand, users of other Android devices compatible with Circle to Search, this change might be more frustrating. Workarounds obviously exist, like adding the Google search widget or downloading the Google Lens app icon.
If this change is not due to a bug, it could be an attempt by Google to simplify Circle to Search’s user interface, but also to reduce competition between the two features. Going from four to three buttons side by side actually improves the visual appearance. This modification appears to have been largely deployed on stable and beta versions of the Google application following a server-side update.
