Google’s latest Pixel update brings Circle to Search to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro
Circle to Search is no longer a flagship-exclusive feature
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Google routinely updates itsbest Pixel phoneswith new features outside of the usual Android update cycle, and the company’s latest software goodie bag contains several welcome upgrades for thePixel 7andPixel 7 Pro.
The biggest of these new features isCircle to Search, an AI-powered tool that lets you search the web for on-screen content using nothing but a scribble. Circle to Search debuted with theSamsung Galaxy S24series in January, beforelater becoming availableon theGoogle Pixel 8andGoogle Pixel 8 Pro.
The feature works in exactly the same way on thePixel 7andPixel 7 Proas it does on those aforementioned phones; to use Circle to Search, simply long-press the home button, then circle, scribble, highlight or tap an image, text or video. Et voilà! You’ll be instantaneously served up with some useful, Google-sourced information related to that subject.
It might sound like a gimmick, but in our testing of Samsung’s latest flagship phones, we found Circle to Search to be an easy-to-use and genuinely effective AI-powered tool, so we’re glad to see Google giving more Pixel owners the opportunity to try it out.
As for the other new features introduced with the latest Pixel update,Googlehas also granted Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro andPixel Foldowners the ability to upload and share Ultra HDR photos – as well as 10-bit HDR Reels – to Instagram. As with Circle to Search, both of these features debuted with the Samsung Galaxy S24 line.
Google’s Call Screen feature has been upgraded, too. On any Pixel phone newer than the Pixel 6, you’re now able to prompt a silent caller to speak by tapping a “hello?” button. What’s more, if you can’t answer a screened call immediately, Google Assistant will now let the caller know to wait a little longer before hanging up.
Other new Google Pixel features include partial screen recording (or sharing), and a “previously used with account” option in Fast Pair, which makes it easier to access and connect to previously paired accessories on new Pixel devices. Both features are available on any Pixel phone newer than thePixel 5a, as well as the Pixel Fold andPixel Tablet.
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Google’s latest Pixel update – and therefore Circle to Search, UltraHDRInstagram photo support, and so on – is now available to download in most global regions, though US Pixel owners will have to wait until March 11 for the option to appear.
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Axel is TechRadar’s UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site’s Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion.
Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.
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