AI Search
Google just announced a suite of new updates that are hitting the Android ecosystem, bringing not just an enhanced version of Circle to Search to some of the latest flagships, but also the ability for Gemini to step into the role of a true autonomous agent that can tackle your multistep to-do lists.
The release coincides with Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked, and naturally, these new capabilities are making their way to Samsung’s new flagships too.
Your phone’s home screen is about to get a lot cleaner
The headline feature is Gemini’s new ability to handle your multistep daily tasks on Android. Meant to automate repetitive tasks, the beta feature essentially brings to life the agentic reality that we’ve previously reported on.
Although Google didn’t fully detail the feature, it did say that users will be able to “simply long-press the power button and ask Gemini to help book you a ride home or reorder your last meal on DoorDash.” When prompted, Gemini will work in the background, allowing you to continue working on other tasks on your phone.
According to Google, the new feature is built to prioritize safety and privacy with:
Google shared an image of the new feature in action, and it looks like it will take agentic automation as far as possible without actually spending your money. Take DoorDash, for example. Gemini will be able to navigate menus, add items, feed in your address, and more, but it will leave the final ‘place order’ tap to you, allowing you to go through the order and ensure that the tool hasn’t made any mistakes (which it might).
The feature will roll out in beta “soon.” At launch, it will be limited to the Galaxy S26 series and the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL in the US and Korea.
Google is leveling up Circle to Search (CtS), giving the tool the ability to explore multiple objects in an image, all at once. For example, up until now, if you saw a room that you liked and wanted to replicate the aesthetic, you had to circle the lamp, then the rug, then the chair, and so on. With today’s update, you’re free to circle the whole image and use relevant queries like “find similar furniture and decor elements at stores near me.”
Similarly, let’s say you see a photo of someone online, and you like their outfit, you should now be able to tap, scribble, or circle the entire outfit and have CtS identify every component and find similar items for you. Once you find the statement piece that you’re looking for, Google’s virtual try-on integration will now let you see what the outfit will look like one you directly from within CtS.
Similar to Gemini’s agentic update, CtS’ enhancement is only hitting the Pixel 10 series and the Galaxy S26 series for now.
In January this year, we reported about how Google might be ready to let Scam Detection shed its Pixel exclusivity. That time is officially here now.
Google is expanding Scam Detection for phone calls to more manufacturers, and it is starting with Samsung and its latest Galaxy S26 series. Scam Detection on the new flagship series is limited to the US for now, in comparison to Scam Detection on Pixel devices, which is available in the US, Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, and the UK.
It’s worth noting that Scam Detection will work with the Samsung Phone app, so you won’t need to migrate to the Google Phone app. It will, however, be off by default.
Elsewhere, Google is bringing Scam Detection for messages to more than 20 countries. “This includes support for several languages including English, Arabic, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish,” suggests the tech giant. In addition to the expansion, the tech is now more intelligent too, leveraging on-device AI to detect the subtle slow-burn conversational patterns used in romance or job offer scams.
The advanced messaging protection is now rolling out on the Google Pixel 10 series “and other select devices.” It will also be available on the Samsung Galaxy S26 series.
A quicker way to flag scams on Android
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