Circle to Search is more convenient than ever on Pixel Tablets

Circle to Search is a game-changer for searching on your screen. Simply hold down and interact with what you want to search—text, image, or even a scribble! Initially available on the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, Google has been expanding its reach to Pixel devices, including the Pixel Tablet.

However, there was a snag: Circle to Search wouldn't work with the action key on the Pixel Tablet in Android 15. This key, found on the taskbar (revealed by swiping up on the navigation handle), launches the app drawer. While long-pressing the navigation handle itself activated Circle to Search, it disappeared when switching to the persistent taskbar (the old taskbar style brought back in Android 15 DP2). This meant no Circle to Search unless you switched back to the default taskbar.

The good news? Android 15 Beta 3 fixes this! Now, you can hold down the action key to activate Circle to Search even with the persistent taskbar active. This functionality is highlighted during setup with a pop-up message guiding you.

While the feature already worked with the transient taskbar (swiping up on the navigation handle), this update is crucial for persistent taskbar users who previously had to switch back to access Circle to Search. This ensures a seamless experience regardless of your preferred taskbar style.

Bonus! Android 15 Beta 3 also introduces split-screen support for Circle to Search, allowing you to search from either app even when multitasking.

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