Google Search has introduced new features that make it easier to interact with images that have a lot of text. In the latest beta version 16.11.36 of the Google app, users can now use Circle to Search to access three new AI options.

These AI options of the Circle to Search feature help summarize, explain, and extract text from images with a lot of writing. When you use the Circle to Search tool, you can highlight an area of an image, and the AI Overviews feature will show three chips –  Summarize, Explain, and Extract Text.

Using AI, these options provide a useful result to users. Here’s how each one works:

• Summarize: This option gives you a brief summary of the text in the image, focusing on key points.
• Explain: This option provides a more detailed explanation of the text, mostly based on the text in the image itself.
• Extract Text: This option lets you pull out all the text from the image, so you can easily copy it.

Image via Android Authority

Right now, these features are available in the Google app beta, so if you’re using that version, you might already have access to them. Google has not officially announced the update yet, but it will likely be available to more Android devices soon, including Samsung Galaxy devices.

If you don’t want to use these features, you can turn off AI Overviews in the settings. These new tools make it easier to get the information you need from images with lots of text.

Unlock advanced AI features with Gemini 2.5 Pro on Samsung devices

Google has introduced its most powerful AI model, Gemini 2.5 Pro, which is now available on Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets for users with a Gemini Advanced subscription. This new version of Gemini brings improved features to make it better at handling complex tasks and providing more accurate results.

Gemini 2.5 Pro is a big upgrade over previous versions as it offers better reasoning. This means the AI can think through its answers more carefully to make it smarter and more reliable. The model combines a stronger base with better training, which leads to improved performance and accuracy.

For those with a Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, or Galaxy S25 Ultra, there’s even amazing news. These phones come with a free 6-month Gemini Advanced subscription, which lets users enjoy Gemini 2.5 Pro at no cost during that time.

This offer gives Galaxy owners access to the AI’s enhanced abilities, including the ability to understand and work with text, images, videos, audio, and code. If you have the Galaxy S25 smartphone, you can enjoy advanced features.

Gemini 2.5 Pro also excels in coding and has beaten other AI models like OpenAI and Claude in performance tests. It has a 1-million token context window, which means it can understand and process more information at once, making it more powerful and flexible.

This new AI model has also been recognized as the top performer on the LMArena leaderboard, beating rivals like DeepSeek and Grok. Gemini 2.5 Pro offers Samsung Galaxy users an advanced and highly capable tool for different tasks.

Android Auto 14 introduces Gemini Live and fresh features for your car

Samsung is gearing up to introduce its latest home appliances at the “Welcome to Bespoke AI” event on March 26, 2025, in Seoul, South Korea. Ahead of the event, Samsung has released a teaser video to give a sneak peek of what’s coming.

In the teaser video of AI home Experience, a smartphone, refrigerator, and washing machine are shown working together through Samsung’s SmartThings platform. Also, it shows these devices will use AI to communicate and help homeowners save time and energy while making everyday tasks simpler.

The Bespoke AI event, with the theme “Home Living Made Simple,” will show how Samsung plans to make homes smarter and more connected through AI. It aims to show how AI can make life at home easier by bringing devices together in one smart system.

JH Han, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics, will be the keynote speaker. He will talk about Samsung’s vision for an “AI Home” and introduce a variety of new Bespoke AI products designed to make daily life easier.

More details about these new products will be available after the event on Samsung Newsroom and Samsung.com starting March 26. Keep an eye out for more information as the event approaches.

Google is working on adding its Gemini AI models to Android Auto, and an early preview shows what this could look like. The Gemini Live feature appeared to be working on the cars. While the feature is still under development, the demo reveals that it could be very useful.

In the test via Android Authority, Gemini Live activated on Android Auto using a phone screen. However, it didn’t work as seamlessly as expected.

The user had to tap the mic icon and ask a simple question to wake up Gemini before starting a more detailed back-and-forth conversation. Once the conversation started, it worked well. It shows that the main features are ready, but Google is still enhancing how it looks and works.

Moreover, the demo also reveals the ability to pause or stop the conversation. This control isn’t available in the regular Gemini queries on Android Auto, but it might be included when the final version is ready. This feature is important because it helps drivers stay focused on the road while using the AI.

As Google continues to improve Gemini Live for Android Auto, it will be important to ensure it doesn’t become distracting. Notably, Gemini Live could change the driving experience, and Google will soon make it available for Android Auto users.

Google has made some tweaks in the latest beta version 16.8 of the Google App for Android. The company has renamed “Gemini Extensions” to just “apps.” This change makes things simpler for users.

Ahead of this update, Google used the term “Gemini Extensions” to refer to different tools that you could use with Gemini. Now, these tools are called “apps.” This change is visible in the Google app’s account menu and in settings where you can turn tools on or off.

With this update, the phrases also got updated. For example, the phrase “Gemini Extensions help you bring it all together” is now “Bring it all together with Gemini and your favorite apps.”

Even though the name has changed, the tools still work the same way. The new name fits well with popular Google services like Google Home, YouTube, and Google Workspace. However, for tools that deal with phone functions under utilities, the name “extensions” may have made more sense.

In addition to the app, there is a small change for the home screen. Now, the model you are using is shown in a pill shape with a small arrow instead of the old triangle design.

While this update makes things simpler and clearer, it’s not yet live on the Gemini website. Google aims to improve the user experience with these new small changes.

Gemini ‘Saved Info’ feature now available to free users