I’ve called this out for months now: Google’s suite of visual search tools step on each other’s toes. Circle to Search (CtS), for reference, can technically do everything that Google Lens can. Gemini’s screen share, on the other hand, can do everything that CtS can, and Gemini Live’s camera mode can do everything Lens’ camera mode can.
It looks like the overlapping functionality is set to get even more confusing as Google might be looking to bring a core CtS gesture to the Gemini overlay’s ‘Ask about screen’ feature.
Currently, when you trigger ‘Ask about screen’ from the Gemini overlay, the AI tool essentially takes a screenshot of your entire screen and lets you type in an accompanying query. It then analyzes the full screen with your query’s context in mind. In case you only want to learn about a specific on-screen element, you need to explicitly mention it in your query, which is an annoying additional step.
I would normally just trigger CtS for such needs. It’s much simpler to circle the on-screen element your query is tied to, rather than having to describe it in text. That ease of pinpointing what you want to search for is what appears to be coming to Gemini overlay’s search.
Coming soon to a Gemini overlay near you, you, and you
The development was first highlighted by the folks over at Android Authority after digging into the recent Google app beta version16.27.68.sa.arm64. The build offers clues surrounding a new floating ‘Tell me about this’ button with the excerpt “Circle anything to submit it to Gemini.”
Sure enough, once manually activated, the tool worked exactly as described in the code strings. It replaces the ‘Ask about screen’ button with ‘Tell me about this,’ and tapping it promptly triggers a CtS-like hue over the screen that serves as an indication for you to circle on-screen elements that pertain to your query. Everything else functions exactly like the current implementation does, complete with an option for you to type in a specific query related to the circled on-screen element.
The development does make it easier for users that primarily call upon Gemini for their queries, but, alas, it further blurs the lines between Google’s various visual search tools. The functionality is still in development with no clear timeline for wide availability.
