Google further tweaks Lens UI with new drag-and-drop search box

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  • Users can now use the new search bubble feature on Chrome desktop to access Google search directly while staying in the same tab.
  • Google Chrome on desktop now offers “Drag to search,” a visually efficient tool that blends search with AI image recognition.
  • Additional AI-powered features like contextual browsing history search and tab comparison will improve the user experience on ChromeOS and desktop.



Google is always tweaking their products, and the latest UI update for Google Chrome desktop is no exception. Google's Circle to Search feature, which launched on Android phones this year, is a great way to search anything visually displayed on your smartphone, and is a perfect blend of search efficiency and AI image recognition. Google is investing heavily in Gemini, an AI LLM. Drag to Search, the desktop version of Circle to Search, has been further tweaked on ChromeOS and desktop Chrome.

Chrome logo over AP logo array

Related

Article: Circle to Search comes to Chrome desktop with two unique AI features

Chrome calls it Google Lens, but it's Circle to Search


Google unveiled Drag to Search in late July and was heavily promoted by the company as part of the future of search. X-user @Leopeva64 showed that Google continues to develop the new Lens UI for desktop Chrome by adding a new search bubble to the top-right corner of the tab. Users can access Google search directly from the bubble, and the results are displayed in the sidebar. We were surprised at how quickly Circle to Search can deliver results. It's also efficient, as users don't have to leave the currently open tab to access search. The latest tweak to Drag to Search allows users to search as they normally would without the visual element.


Navigating the search waters with AI


Drag to Search came to desktop Chrome and ChromeOS in early August, but it's also coming with a few other AI-powered features: Searching your browsing history will now be much easier, and Chrome will be able to find the context of pages you may have visited based on information on that page. Plus, Tab Compare is a new tool rolling out “in the coming weeks” to help consumers compare products based on source information across the web. The addition of these tools coincides with Google's additions to its web browser, when it brought three generative AI features to Chrome in January.

Google's Circle to Search for Android got a new barcode scanning feature in late June, making it easier to grab the code or URL associated with a barcode directly on your phone's screen. It's not every day you need to scan a barcode on your screen, but now it'll be easier to do so. This is just one of many ways that Circle to Search (and eventually Drag to Search) is surprisingly robust, providing useful tools for shopping, writing, traveling, and more.


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