Circle to Search could finally ditch a design element we hated back in the Android 12 days

It’s hard to get excited about software, but sometimes a feature is so good that it really does cause ripples in the industry. One of the highlight features of Android this year is Circle to Search. This feature made its debut at the top of the year, with Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series, giving users a new and more convenient way to search for things on the internet. Of course, since that time, it has expanded to other great handsets as well, and while we’ve seen some functional improvements to Circle to Search over the past year since its debut, there could be some cosmetic changes on the way as well.

This new information comes to us from the folks at Android Authority, who have done some digging in the latest beta version of the feature, finding hints Circle to Search could get a fresh coat of paint in the near future. The news outlet shares that in version 15.47.26.sa.arm64 of Circle to Search, when activating the feature, users will now see a colorful explosion of color that will be seen across the whole screen. Perhaps even more important is that it appears that the sparkle ripple effect, which users haven’t been a fan of since it’s been introduced, has finally been laid to rest.

A more colorful look for Circle to Search

Of course, while Google did a pretty good job of toning down the ripple effect when it wasn’t that well received, there were still elements of the effect here and there through the OS. Those elements have been constant since that release, and have pretty much remained unchanged for a few years now. So it comes as a complete surprise that Google is finally getting rid of it and replacing it with a new effect that could eventually find its way into a public release of Circle to Search.

So, as stated before, in a future update, there’s a good chance that the ripple effect could be replaced by a new and more colorful animation. Furthermore, the physical action of circling something on screen to search will also get a small tweak as well. Instead of the standard white line that is used to trace objects on screen, this may now get a small change that will also make it look more colorful and bright with a new rainbow trail.

You can see an image that shows off both changes above. For the most part, this isn’t anything major, but adding a little color to Circle to Search could provide users with a better indicator when using the feature going forward. Of course, this feature is currently only available on limited devices like Samsung and Google. But if your device does have it, we recommend giving it a try. Just hold down the home button and you can easily start the process.