Getting Scam Texts? Here’s How Circle To Search Can Help

Scam messages have become so common that most of us barely react anymore. One day it’s a delivery issue, the next day it’s a bank alert or a payment warning. While some scam texts are easy to spot, others look convincing enough to make you pause, and that’s exactly what scammers rely on. Also Read: Google May Put AI Data Centres In Space, But Crowded Orbits Could Be A Problem

These scams are hard to catch. This is because many of them look polished and believable. Some even copy real brand language, making it difficult to tell what’s real and what isn’t. The real danger is that one tap on a fake link can lead to stolen data, drained bank accounts, or locked apps. Also Read: Gmail Features That Make Inbox Cleaner

To deal with this, Google has quietly added a useful upgrade to Circle to Search, making it easier to identify suspicious messages before you click on anything risky. Here’s how you can use it. 

How To Use Circle To Search On Android

If you’re using an Android phone that supports Circle to Search, checking a suspicious message takes just a few seconds.

• When a suspicious text arrives, don’t click any links. Long-press the home button or navigation bar on your phone to bring up Circle to Search.
• Use your finger to draw a circle around the text that looks suspicious. It works on SMS, WhatsApp messages, and even social media chats.
• Circle to Search will analyse the text using AI and information from the web. If the message shows common scam patterns, you’ll see a warning along with an explanation of why it’s risky.

This also helps you recognise scam patterns more easily in the future.

Don’t have Circle to Search? Use Google Lens

If Circle to Search isn’t available on your device, Google Lens can do something similar, and it works on both Android and iOS.

Step 1: Take a screenshot of the suspicious message

Step 2: Open the Google app and tap the Lens icon

Step 3: Select the screenshot

Lens will scan the message and flag potential scam indicators, along with suggestions on what to do next.

A few things to keep in mind

• These tools work best when Google’s systems have high confidence
• They don’t replace common sense. Note that urgency and payment requests are still red flags
• Never click on unknown links before checking