Google has, in all but name, brought its advanced Circle to Search feature to iPhone via the Chrome and Google apps.
The new Google Lens functionality, revealed in a blog post on the day of the iPhone 16e launch, enables users to “select and search what’s on your screen.”
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The feature enables users to select the content they wish to delve deeper into via “drawing, highlighting or tapping”.
The difference between this and Google’s official Circle to Search feature is that users with supported Android phones can do this from any place within the operating system. For iPhone users, they’ll have to be within the aforementioned Lens and Google apps.
In a blog post, the company says: “First, if you have an iPhone, you’ll find a new Lens option that lets you select and search what’s on your screen within Chrome or the Google app, using whatever gesture comes naturally — like drawing, highlighting or tapping.
“Whether you’re reading an article, shopping for a product or watching a video, you can use this feature to quickly perform a visual search while browsing, without having to take a screenshot or open a new tab.”
In order to access the new feature, both in Chrome and the Google iOS app, you’ll need to tap the three-dot menu before choosing “Search this Screen”. Then you can select what you’d like to search on the display.
Google says you’ll be able to access the update from this week when it rolls out for both the Chrome and Google iOS apps.
The news comes as Google removes its Gemini live voice chatbot from the main Google app and places it within the standalone Gemini app.
