One of the big features Google (and Samsung) is pushing in their latest smartphones is called Circle to Search, which is basically an amped-up version of Google Lens with AI sprinkled on top of it. Now, the software giant is bringing the feature to desktop Chrome web browser, though with a slightly different name, “Drag to Search”.
Circle To Search Built Into Chrome
Since not all laptops come with touch screens, Google has naturally renamed the feature as “Drag to Search”, which works by clicking the Google Lens button on the top right of the Chrome window and drag a region that you want information from. The search results are then shown on the side panel located on the right side of the browser.
According to 9to5Google, the feature development is nearly complete based on its appearance on recent beta releases (including the feature introduction in Chrome v128 beta), which describes the feature as follows: “Google Lens in Chrome makes it easy to search anything you see on your screen. Search within a video you’re watching, a slide in a livestream, or an image on a webpage. Google Lens will give you answers right there, in your tab, and you can continue browsing with the new information you’ve found.”
That said, the screenshots have mostly referenced the feature as Google Lens – it’s not entirely sure if this is a placeholder name (Google Lens is a precursor to Circle to Search) that’ll be changed when it enters formal release in future Chrome updates. If you’re currently running the correct Chrome beta versions, you can enable this feature via the overflow menu and select “Search with Google Lens”, or pin the option through the side panel once it’s activated.
Pokdepinion: I can see this being particularly useful at reverse image search or text translations.
