Circle to Search May Soon Favor AI Mode Over Regular Search Results

Circle to Search, which debuted on the Galaxy S24 series, is one of the best AI features in recent years. It lets you quickly pull up info about almost anything on your screen, whether it’s text or images, without leaving your current app. Now, a new report says Google is getting ready to change how Circle to Search shows results.

Circle to Search could soon show AI Mode results first

Right now, when you use Circle to Search on your Galaxy phone, you usually see an AI Overview at the top, followed by regular search results. That could soon change.

A recent APK teardown by Android Authority of the Google app beta v17.3.59.sa.arm64 shows that Google is building support for a new workflow where Circle to Search prioritizes full AI Mode answers instead of regular search results with an AI Overview at the top. You’ll still be able to switch between result types manually.

Even though this feature is not live yet for users with the Google app beta installed, the groundwork is already in place. You can still launch Circle to Search as before, but AI Mode now delivers the default results. You can switch between AI Mode and other search options by tapping the bar at the top.

As always, it will probably take some time to fully rollout for everyone. And whether to like it or note Google will slap AI Mode when you use Circle to Search. Personally, I have had mixed experiences with AI Mode, so I won’t fully diss it. But yeah, what do you feel about the upcoming change?