C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google is expanding Gemini’s upgraded overlay, bringing Circle to Search-style screen selection directly into the AI assistant.
- Users can now circle, highlight, or select anything on-screen and instantly ask Gemini for more context or answers.
- Android users are now receiving the updated interface through Google app version 17.20.
Gemini is currently rolling out an improved overlay experience that enables users to circle, highlight or pick anything on their screen and then ask Gemini about it. Android Authority noticed signs of this merger as early as October, when a “Circle to select” button appeared in the Tools button within the Gemini overlay. A month later, Gemini’s Circle Screen feature was released to a limited number of users.
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9to5Google claims that more Android users are already beginning to notice the new interface arriving through the latest version of Google app (17.20). The shift brings Gemini closer to Circle to Search. Once the overlay opens, users see a new prompt that says, “Circle anything or ask about this screen.” Then you may draw around text, photos, or other things on the screen and utilize that as context for Gemini prompts.
Google has also tweaked the interaction a bit. The chosen region now has resize handles to make it simpler to fine-tune exactly what Gemini should be focusing on. Tapping the captured image afterward still opens Gemini’s annotation tools, so users can continue marking up screenshots before submitting them.
There is another small addition bundled into the rollout too. Gemini’s plus menu now includes a dedicated “Screen content” shortcut, which manually attaches the current display to a prompt.
Gemini could already interpret screen context in some situations, but this option gives users a more direct and visible way to control what gets shared.
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