Google Tests ‘Scroll and Translate’ Feature for Circle to Search on Pixel Phones: Report

Google's Circle to Search feature is being updated with live translation, meant for dynamic screens like webpages and videos. Some users already have early access to the feature under the name Scroll and Translate, according to a new report. The feature is reportedly limited to Google app beta users on Pixel phones for now. Notably, a recent report suggested that Google is testing a feature called Live Translate in Circle to Search, designed to translate not just static images but also dynamic content like webpages, GIFs, and videos. 

Google Tests ‘Scroll and Translate' on Circle to Search for Pixel Beta Users

According to an Android Authority report, certain Google app beta users have noticed Circle to Search's Live Translate feature appearing on their devices as Scroll and Translate. The feature seems to be rolling out selectively, currently available on some Pixel phones but not yet extending to non-Pixel models.

A recent report by the same publication claimed that Google is developing a Live Translate feature for Circle to Search. The feature is not active yet, but it appears in the app drawer alongside tools like screen translation and song recognition. When selected, it reportedly prompts users to choose whether it should work across the entire screen or only within specific apps.

Unlike the previously spotted Live Translate feature, there is no dedicated button for the Scroll and Translate tool yet. The new report claims that the latter can currently be accessed by tapping the Translate icon in Circle to Search and then tapping the Scroll and Translate option. 

The Scroll and Translate feature doesn't support cropping at the moment, so the entire screen must be translated at once, according to the publication, which says that this takes some time to process.

Pasting a webpage link into Google Translate reportedly provides a more seamless experience, Circle to Search serves as a quicker option and is still faster than translating bits of text individually across a page.

In the app code, Google has reportedly alternated between referring to the feature as both Live Translate and Scroll and Translate. Since a Live Translate feature is already present on Pixel devices as a separate tool, attaching the same label to Circle to Search could create confusion. It is unclear which branding Google will ultimately settle on.