The Circle to Search feature, which lets you run an image search by circling an area of the screen, was introduced in Google ChromeOS beta 127 and Chrome 128 for Windows and macOS.
Image source: Rubaitul Azad / unsplash.com
The feature initially debuted on the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Google Pixel 8 smartphones, but quickly expanded to other devices. Circle to Search enables searches based on visual content, and it’s now available on PCs running Google ChromeOS 127, as well as desktop versions of the Chrome browser 128 — currently in beta.
On ChromeOS, you’ll need to select the Google Lens icon in the address bar to launch it, and on Chrome for Windows and macOS, you’ll need to select Search with Google Lens in the browser menu – for ease of use, the corresponding button can be moved to the Chrome toolbar.
The search for content that falls within the circled section of the page begins immediately, and its results are displayed in the sidebar – you can stay on the open page and immediately see the search results.
Google Lens in Chrome makes it easy to find whatever is on your screen: a running video, a frame from a live stream, or an image from the current page — all in the same tab. The new feature’s presence in official beta versions of the ChromeOS platform and Chrome browser suggests that it will soon be widely available — as expectedthis will happen on August 14.
If you notice an error, select it with your mouse and press CTRL+ENTER.
