Google’s Circle to Search: Hidden Feature Outshines Advertised Capabilities, Users Report

Hidden Feature Becomes Unexpected Star

A little-known function inside Google’s Circle to Search is quietly winning over users, even as the tool’s headline image-recognition feature draws mixed reviews. The unadvertised capability—allowing users to quickly copy and share text from any on-screen element—is seeing a surge in daily use.

“Most people don’t realize Circle to Search can do more than just identify objects,” said Dr. Elena Markova, a mobile UX researcher at TechInsight Group. “This text extraction tool is simple, fast, and rarely fails, unlike the visual search.”

Core Feature Inconsistent, Users Say

Google marketed Circle to Search as a seamless way to search for anything visible on a smartphone screen. However, everyday users report spotty performance. “Sometimes it nails it, other times it’s wildly off,” said frequent user David Chen, a freelance designer from Austin, Texas. “Because of that inconsistency, I’ve stopped relying on it for visual searches.”

According to an internal survey cited by analysts, 63% of users who tried the image-recognition function gave up after three failed attempts. This has led many to abandon the feature altogether—except for the hidden text tool.

What the Hidden Feature Does

By long-pressing on any text displayed on the screen—whether in an app, a website, or a paused video—Circle to Search can instantly copy that text to the clipboard. There’s no need to open a separate search bar or switch apps. The function works without any special markup or buttons.

“It’s essentially a universal text grabber,” explained Markova. “Google never put it in a splash screen or tutorial. Users discover it by accident.”

Background: Circle to Search’s Rollout

Google unveiled Circle to Search in early 2024 as part of its Pixel and Samsung Galaxy series, positioning it as an AI-powered way to “circle, highlight, or tap” anything on the screen. The visual search leverages Google Lens computer vision to identify products, landmarks, or text.

Yet from launch, reviews noted that image recognition struggled with complex backgrounds, similar-looking objects, or low-quality images. The company has not publicly addressed the inconsistency, but a Google spokesperson told TechCrunch that updates are “ongoing to improve accuracy across scenarios.”

What This Means for Users

The quiet success of the text-copy feature suggests that users value reliability over flashy AI demos. While visual search remains a gimmick for many, the text tool solves a daily pain point: manually typing phone numbers, addresses, or passwords from images.

“For productivity, this hidden feature is a game-changer,” said Chen. “I use it constantly—for grabbing links from captions, saving quotes from videos, even copying codes from tickets.” Industry analysts predict that if Google promotes the text feature, Circle to Search could see a significant uptick in daily active users.

“Google needs to decide what Circle to Search is really for,” concluded Markova. “Right now, its most useful part is the one they don’t talk about.”