I Built an Open-Source Circle to Search App for Windows and Linux Using Rust

Description and use

OpenCircle is an open‑source Windows and Linux app that lets users quickly select screen areas, extract text, query AI, translate, and annotate screenshots, streamlining desktop workflows.

Problem

Desktop users lack a native Circle-to-Search tool to quickly select screen content and perform OCR, AI queries, translation, or screenshot annotation without switching apps.

Outcome

OpenCircle provides a unified desktop experience for screen selection, OCR, AI interaction, translation, and screenshot annotation, reducing app switching.

Workflow

• Launch OpenCircle
• Draw a circle or select screen area
• App captures screen region
• Performs OCR to extract text
• Optionally sends text to AI for questions
• Optionally translates text live
• Optionally captures screenshot and allows annotation

Evidence

I used Rust and iced for the app. The goal was to make something native that lets you select anything on your screen without having to constantly switch between applications.

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Circle or select anything on your screen and search it. Extract text from images, games, and other applications. Ask AI questions about selected content, including with local models. Translate screen text in place, with live translation for games. Capture and annotate screenshots.

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One of the more challenging parts was getting screen selection, floating overlays, and the different recognition and translation components to work together.

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The app is still in its first release. I've tested it on Windows and Ubuntu, but users have already reported some performance issues on weaker hardware, so that's something I'm investigating.

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I also used Claude to help with parts of the code. It's been useful during development, but there was still plenty of architecture, integration, debugging, and testing work involved.

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