Google's Circle to Search Is Coming to Chrome on the Desktop

Since not all laptops have touch screens, the desktop version is called 'Drag to Search.'

A version of Google's Circle to Search is coming to Chrome on the desktop.

Since being introduced with the Pixel 8 and Samsung Galaxy S24 lineups in January, Circle to Search has made its way to the Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, and older Samsung devices. Now, the visual search feature is being added to Chromebooks and Chrome on the desktop.

As 9to5Google reports, the desktop browser version is called “Drag to Search” since not all laptops feature a touch screen to circle things.

Like its mobile counterpart, Drag to Search is integrated with Google Lens. Chromebooks will see a Lens icon in the address bar. On Mac and Windows, Chrome users will have to click on the three-dot menu and pick the “Search with Google Lens” option to use Drag to Search.

Currently, this feature is available in ChromeOS 127 beta and Chrome 128 beta. Since the function is mentioned in the “What’s new in Chrome” page, it should be available in the stable version soon, 9to5Google notes.

Users can then select a portion of an image to search or drag and drop it in the search bar. Google will perform a visual search and provide related responses in the side panel. You can also pin the Drag to Search option to the side panel for quicker access.

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