Why Circle to Search is missing on your work phone and what’s behind it
Top 3 Key Points:
- Circle to Search allows fast Google searches using screenshots.
- IT admins can now disable the feature due to security concerns.
- Blocking Circle to Search is possible with Android 15 updates.
Circle to Search: What Happened to the Feature on Your Work Phone?
Circle to Search is a highly useful feature on Android, making it easier for users to search the web. By simply holding down the home button or navigation bar and circling or tapping the desired section of the screen, you can quickly Google search text or images. This feature, however, may no longer be available on some Android work phones due to security concerns raised by IT administrators.
How Circle to Search Works Introduced earlier this year during the Samsung Galaxy S24 launch, Circle to Search is currently only available on selected Google and Samsung devices. It works through Android’s Assist API, which captures a screenshot of the active screen and allows users to interact with the text and images. By selecting any part of the screen, users can copy, share, or perform a Google search on the highlighted content.
Why IT Admins Are Concerned Circle to Search’s functionality relies on taking screenshots, which might include sensitive information like login credentials or personal data. For businesses, this can present a risk. IT administrators are wary of potential data breaches or unintentional leaks if employees use this feature inappropriately. Google has responded by allowing IT admins to disable Circle to Search on work phones.
How IT Admins Disable Circle to Search Google’s recent update to the Android Management API gives IT departments more control over work phones. This update introduces an AssistContentPolicy, which controls whether an app, such as Google Assistant, can receive screenshots and app information. By adjusting this policy, IT admins can block the Circle to Search feature entirely on devices running Android 15 or higher.
Why Circle to Search Might Disappear on Your Phone If your work phone is updated to Android 15 and you notice that Circle to Search is no longer functioning, it’s likely because your company’s IT department has disabled the feature for security reasons. With Android 15 updates rolling out soon, more phones may have this restriction applied.
This security measure is mainly aimed at protecting company data from accidental exposure, ensuring that sensitive information remains secure.
The Emergency SOS feature on the Pixel Watch is great for quickly calling for help in urgent situations. You just need to press the watch’s crown five times fast. This works well for emergencies, but it can also cause the watch to dial 911 by accident.
Good news is, Google is working on a fix to stop these unwanted calls. In the newest update of the Pixel Watch app (version 3.3.0.714022638), we found hints that Google might add a new “Touch and Hold to Call” option for the SOS feature.
With this new method, after you press the crown five times, you’ll need to touch and keep your finger on the screen for three seconds before the call starts. This extra step should cut down on the number of accidental emergency calls.
We’ve seen a preview video of how this will work when it’s ready, and it looks promising. Importantly, this won’t be the only way to activate SOS. People will still have the choice to use this new touch-and-hold method or stick with the current way, which will now have a five-second wait before calling.
This new way to trigger Emergency SOS isn’t ready yet in the current app version, but it should come in a future update. We’ll keep this article updated once it’s available for everyone to use.
Google has just started to update its Circle to Search feature, which was announced with the Galaxy S25 and new Gemini tools.
The old design had a separate search bar with two round buttons for finding songs and translating text. Now, everything is packed into one simple pill-shaped box. Google chose this design after trying out a few others and decided it was the easiest to use.
When you turn on Circle to Search, the search bar slides up smoothly from the bottom of your screen. When you close it, it slides back down the same way. The background now uses bright colors, sometimes showing Google’s famous red, yellow, blue, and green.
The microphone icon matches the style of the other buttons, and the buttons to close or see more options are now inside little circles at the top corners.
What’s New in Circle to Search
Circle to Search now makes it easier to deal with numbers, emails, and web links. When you see these, the feature marks them with a special pin. If you tap on a phone number, it automatically goes into your dialer. Tap an email, and a new email starts. Click a link, and it opens in Chrome. This means one less tap for you.
Google also added AI Overviews, which give you more info when you search for places, pictures, or items.
This new Circle to Search design is starting to show up on some phones with the latest Google app beta (version 16.1.43). You might need to force stop the Google Search app to see it, but not everyone can use it yet.
Google TV is now introducing a new way for some users to stay updated with the news through a feature called “Quick News.” This was first shown at the big tech event, CES, this month.
“Quick News” is all about bringing the day’s big news stories right to your TV. It uses Gemini, an AI tool, to make short summaries of news and find related videos, mostly from YouTube.
Here’s how Google describes it on their support page:
With Gemini’s help and some human checking, “Quick News” gives you a quick look at the top news stories and shows related YouTube videos from sources you can trust. The news updates throughout the day to keep you in the loop.
Right now, not everyone can use this feature. Google is only letting some Google TV users in the US try it out this week. You’ll find “Quick News” on the “For You” page of Google TV.
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