Pixel Tips erroneously alerted owners that Circle to Search is available

Circle to Search is only live on the Pixel 8, 8 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S24 series, but that didn’t stop the Pixel Tips app from notifying some users that it was available on their unsupported device.

The Pixel Tips notifications said “Discover Circle to Search” to “Search anything on your Pixel, without switching apps.”

It opened the Tips entry — “Circle it Search it” — with “Try it now” providing a brief demo experience: “Instantly search anything you see on your Pixel, without switching apps. Touch & hold the home button or the handle at the bottom of the screen, then circle or tap text or images to learn more and explore.”

Pixel 7 Pro

This page should only be available on the Pixel 8 series. Google looks to have forgotten to limit the listing to just those new devices. As of Monday morning, Google might have addressed this oversight already.

On the Pixel 8, it’s part of the “New Google AI features” collection with Magic Editor, Best Take, Audio Magic Eraser, and more. However, unlike those features, Circle to Search should not have any hardware requirements and eventually be available for most Android devices. 

• Related: Samsung says Circle to Search won’t come to more Android phones until October

Google has yet to reveal when Circle to Search will come to other Pixel devices. The primary exclusivity period to the S24 — and how a lot of the advertising for the new phones advertise CTS — might suggest that’s still a few months away. Circle to Search is a perfect candidate for an upcoming Pixel Feature Drop.