Circle to Search is available on Pixel phones right now if you follow these steps

During Galaxy Unpacked, a brand new Circle to Search (CTS) characteristic was introduced for the Galaxy S24 collection. Google mentioned it plans to deliver the characteristic to the Pixel 8 collection on January 31, 2024, however you can really begin utilizing it right this moment if you follow a couple of steps. And it really works on older Pixel phones, too.

Circle to Search is a operate that enables you to seek for something on your display screen by circling, highlighting, tapping, or scribbling over the topic. All the consumer has to do is lengthy press on the house button or gesture navigation deal with, circle the textual content or picture, and Google Lens will carry out a search with out you having to go away the app you’re on.

According to Mishaal Rahman, you don’t have to watch for the Circle to Search rollout to begin utilizing the operate. Enabling the characteristic on the Pixel 8 collection solely takes a couple of steps. What’s extra, you can apparently activate the characteristic on different Pixel phones. But because it’s meant to be an unique for the Pixel 8 collection, there are some additional steps that want to be adopted.

Rahman says you want two gadgets you want to make Circle to Search work. One of these gadgets is code to make it attainable to long-press the house/gesture navigation deal with and the opposite merchandise is a model of the Google App that incorporates the exercise that launches when you use Circle to Search — known as “OmnientActivity.”

Activating the characteristic on the Pixel 8 collection is a three-step course of that goes as follows:

1. Check to see if your model of the Google app has “cts” within the model identify. You may also sideload this model Rahman extracted from his S24 Ultra.
2. Once you have the right app model, you’ll want to run these instructions:
   1. adb shell cmd device_config put launcher long_press_home_button_to_search true;adb shell cmd device_config put launcher long_press_home_button_to_search_mpr true;adb shell cmd device_config put launcher press_hold_nav_handle_to_search true;adb shell cmd device_config put launcher press_hold_nav_handle_to_search_mpr true;adb shell cmd device_config put launcher ENABLE_SETTINGS_OSE_CUSTOMIZATIONS true;adb shell cmd device_config put launcher ENABLE_LONG_PRESS_NAV_HANDLE true;adb shell cmd device_config put launcher ENABLE_LONG_PRESS_NAV_HANDLE_MPR true;adb shell cmd device_config put launcher INVOKE_OMNI_LPH true;adb shell cmd device_config put launcher INVOKE_OMNI_LPH_MPR true;adb shell cmd device_config set_sync_disabled_for_tests persistent
3. After you reboot your machine, Circle to Search can be enabled.

For Pixel units that aren’t the Pixel 8 collection, it seems the Google app instantly shuts down the OmnientActivity. As a end result, Rahman says you’ll want to root your cellphone and apply the Magisk Module. This will make the app assume your cellphone is a Pixel 8 Pro.

Rahman additionally features a manner for you to revert your cellphone again to its earlier state. You can do that by operating the ADB command “adb shell cmd device_config set_sync_disabled_for_tests none.”

This is a variety of work simply to use a single characteristic that can be out subsequent week, particularly if you’re attempting to allow it on an older Pixel cellphone.  Not to point out that utilizing a spoofing instrument like Magish Module could cause some apps to crash. So we wouldn’t suggest this feature until you’re determined to attempt Circle to Search earlier than anybody else.