Google launched Circle to Search, one of the best additions to Android in recent years, right at the beginning of 2024 alongside the Galaxy S24 series debut. The feature was initially available on selected Pixels and flagship Galaxy phones, but after about eight months, Google expanded it to more devices, including those from Xiaomi, Oppo, Motorola, and others. Nothing is now joining the bandwagon, bringing Circle to Search support to its devices running its latest Nothing OS build.
In a community post, Nothing announced that Circle to Search is now available on the Phone 2, Phone 2a, and Phone 2a Plus running Android 15-based Nothing OS 3.0 “after passing additional testing.” This explains why the feature was not a part of the initial Nothing OS 3.0 stable release for these phones, arriving a bit later.
To start using the feature, ensure it is enabled by navigating to Settings > Special features > Gestures > Navigation mode > Circle to Search.
If you don’t see the option, Nothing recommends rebooting your phone and then trying again. You can use the gesture with either gesture navigation or 3-button navigation.
The company also notes that other Nothing phones, including the Phone 2a units sold in Japan, will only gain access to Circle to Search as and when they get the Nothing OS 3.0 update. While not mentioned, the feature should also make it to the CMF Phone 1 with the stable Android 15 release.
Use Circle to Search to supercharge search on your Nothing phone
Circle to Search is a great way to quickly search for what’s on your phone’s screen. It can change how you search, as invoking the gesture and circling the item you want to search for is far easier than copying the image and pasting it in Google Lens. You can also use Circle to Search to look up the definition of a word, find information about a place, translate text in images, and get navigation directions.
Google has also been improving Circle to Search since its release, adding support for song search. It has also been spotted working on several other improvements, including the ability to search within any video.
