Google announced two new search features, the first being circle to search and the second is AI-powered multisearch experience. Both seem like upgrades to Google Lens, let me take you through both.

Circle To Search:

With Circle to Search you can select images, text or videos and then by circling, highlighting, scribbling or tapping – Google can search the object within that image, text or video. Google wrote, “Circle to Search can help you quickly identify items in a photo or video.” “Relevant ads will continue to appear in dedicated slots throughout the page,” Google added.

Here is a GIF of it in action:

I love to take a photo, upload it to Google Lens, then crop into the part I want Google to search. This is an upgrade to that…

This is coming January 31st to premium Android phones including Pixel 8, the Pixel 8 Pro and the new Samung Galaxy S24 series.

AI-Powered Multisearch

Multisearch is not new, it was announced last year for images. But now Google has upgraded it so that you can take a photo with your camera or upload a photo from your library or upload a screenshot. Then you ask a question using the Google app, the new AI-powered multisearch experience will show results “with AI-powered insights that go beyond just visual matches,” Google said.

Google said, “this gives you the ability to ask more complex or nuanced questions about what you see, and quickly find and understand key information.”

Here is a GIF of it in action:

To use it, go to the Google app and click on the lens icon. AI-powered overviews on multisearch results are launching this week in English in the U.S., you do not need to enroll in Search Labs. For those outside, you need be opted into Search Generative Experience (SGE), you can preview this new experience in the Google app.

Here is Glenn Gabe’s tweet on it:

Forum discussion at Mastodon.