Files by Google, the company’s file search and management app, is reportedly getting new artificial intelligence (AI) features. According to one report, a version of the “Circle to Search” feature is being tested in the app. This feature is said to be available only for images. The Files app is also reportedly getting an AI summarization feature that will work on files with text. Notably, an earlier report claimed that Google Chrome for desktop may also get a visual lookup feature via Google Lens.
Files from Google with Circle to search
According to a report by 9to5Google, the Files by Google app is getting some new AI features. The first feature is Circle to Search, which was reportedly discovered in an APK teardown of the latest beta version of the app. However, unlike the Pixel smartphones and the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, this appears to be a stripped-down version of Circle to Search.
Files from Google Circle for search function
Photo credit: 9to5Google
The feature is said to only be available for images viewed within the app. When opening an image in full-screen mode, a new floating action button (FAB) is reportedly displayed at the bottom. According to a screenshot shared by the publication, the icon was seen directly above the editing FAB. This icon controls the feature.
According to reports, two different icons are used for Circle to Search. The first is a magnifying glass with a glitter on it, which is also used for smart search in the app. The second is the classic Google Lens icon. Since Circle to Search doesn’t have any official icons, it seems that the company is still experimenting with the icons.
Tapping the icon will reportedly open the entire window in “circle to search” mode and other elements of the Files interface will disappear. The user can then circle a portion of the image to instantly launch an Internet search, the report said. This feature has yet to roll out to beta users.
The report also highlighted a second AI feature that is now rolling out to some beta users. The Files by Google app is said to be able to create AI summaries for file formats like PDF, Docx, TXT, and more if they contain text. The publication claims that the feature uses Gemini Nano on the device to do this, which would suggest that it could be a Pixel 8 series exclusive feature.
