Google brings popular ‘Circle to Search’ feature to iPhones: Here’s how to use it

Google’s broadly used ‘Circle to Search’ feature, which took the Android world by storm in 2024, is now accessible to iPhone customers. This synthetic intelligence-driven software has gained recognition for its capacity to carry out visible searches on the go, and its arrival on iPhones is a welcome improve, although it comes with some limitations.

How It Works on iPhones

Initially unique to Android units, the feature has been rebranded as “Display screen Search with Google Lens” for iPhones. To use this, customers will want to set up the Google Lens app. Nonetheless, in contrast to its Android counterpart, it will not work system-wide on iPhones. It’s at present accessible solely throughout the Chrome and Google apps. This restriction is among the trade-offs that Google had to make to deliver the feature to iPhone customers, however it nonetheless presents vital utility for these throughout the supported apps.

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To use the feature, customers will discover it within the three-dot menu positioned within the top-right nook of each the Chrome and Google apps on iOS. As soon as chosen, it permits customers to spotlight, draw, or faucet objects on the display with out leaving the app. This makes searching with Chrome or looking on the Google app extra interactive, as it allows customers to carry out a visible search immediately.

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Future Enhancements and AI Overviews

Google has said that this feature is most helpful whereas searching on Chrome. Customers can now shortly seek for data on objects they encounter whereas browsing the online without having to take a screenshot or open a brand new tab. Within the coming months, Google will add a brand new Lens icon to the tackle bar for straightforward entry to the Display screen Search feature.

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Moreover, Google is increasing the capabilities of Google Lens itself. The brand new AI Overview feature, already part of common Google searches, will now be accessible by way of the Lens search operate. This feature will present an in depth overview of objects, reminiscent of crops, merchandise, or landmarks, instantly from visible searches. AI Overviews will present up alongside search outcomes, providing extra context and key points of the recognized objects.

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For each iOS and Android customers, Google Lens will proceed to establish billions of objects from an unlimited picture database. With the facility of AI, the software can now provide deeper insights into distinctive or obscure photos. Consequently, AI Overviews will seem extra continuously, enriching the general search expertise for customers. This replace will roll out globally, giving iPhone customers the prospect to discover and revel in these new AI-powered search capabilities.