Gemini overlay on Android basically adds Circle to Search

At a glance:

• Google is rolling out a Gemini overlay update on Android that lets users circle anything on screen and feed it into a prompt, essentially adding Circle to Search–style interaction to Gemini.
• The update ships in Google app version 17.20 and adds drag-handle refinement around a four-color glow, a "Screen content" option in the plus menu, and drawing tools tied to the selected image.
• The feature gives users precise control over which part of the screen to include in a Gemini prompt, rather than relying on Gemini to guess relevance automatically.

What changed in the Gemini overlay

Google is pushing an update to the Gemini overlay on Android that fundamentally changes how users interact with the assistant while looking at any screen. Once the update lands on your device, activating the Gemini overlay presents a new prompt: "Circle anything or ask about this screen." You can draw a circle around any element — a product image, a block of text, a UI button — and Gemini will treat the selected area as an image attachment to your prompt.

After circling, the selection is framed by drag handles around a four-color glow, letting you refine the exact cropped region before submitting. Tapping the image inside the overlay opens the existing set of drawing tools, so you can annotate or highlight within the selection before sending it to Gemini. The overlay's plus menu has also gained a new "Screen content" option positioned above the Camera entry, which lets you manually add the entire screen as context rather than relying on Gemini to decide whether the screen is relevant.

How to get it and what version it is in

The feature is rolling out broadly today as part of the latest stable version of the Google app, version 17.20. Google notes that if you do not see the new functionality, you can force-stop the app from App info and reopen it to trigger the update. The rollout appears to be server-side as well as app-version–driven, so some users may see it before others even on the same version.

Why it matters for Gemini's on-screen interaction

This update bridges a gap between Google's Circle to Search experience and the broader Gemini conversational AI. Previously, Gemini on Android would factor in your screen context if it was relevant to a command, but users had little control over which part of the screen counted. The new precision layer — circling, refining with handles, optionally dumping the full screen via "Screen content" — gives power users a way to steer Gemini's understanding of what they are looking at. It also positions Gemini as a more proactive overlay that can act on any app screen, not just search results or images fetched from the web.

What to watch next

Google has been steadily expanding the Gemini app's capabilities across platforms. Recent moves include prepping a "Gemini Agent" described as a 24/7 digital partner, a full UI redesign that overhauls every part of the app, and the rollout of notebooks to Android while iOS receives a Liquid Glass treatment. The overlay update is a small but meaningful step toward making Gemini a universal assistant layer across Android rather than a standalone chatbot.

Tags

Gemini, Android, Google app, Circle to Search, AI overlay