Google did it, not Apple! AI feature coming to iPhone

Ömer

May 8, 2024

Google has brought a very important artificial intelligence feature to Android in recent years. Called Circle to Search, this feature allows you to select objects in photos and search for them on Google with a simple circle gesture. Google is now preparing to bring Circle to Search support to iPhones.

Android’s Circle to Search feature on its way to iPhone

The popular Circle to Search feature on Android devices will now be available on iPhone thanks to a shortcut added to Google Lens. Using Google’s visual search and optical character recognition (OCR) technologies, the feature will enhance the search experience on iPhone.

Circle to Search, which was only available for various Pixel and Samsung models earlier this year, works by circling parts of images. It allows you to search for specific items without having to tap the entire screen or take a screenshot.

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On Android, using Circle to Search requires a long press on the home button. While iPhone doesn’t support this, Google has found a clever workaround using iOS features. The Google app now includes a “Search for screenshots” shortcut that can be accessed with the iPhone’s back tap gesture.

Setting up the shortcut is quite simple. Through the Accessibility settings, users can assign Google Lens by double or triple tapping the back of the iPhone. This allows tapping the back to take a screenshot and direct it to Lens for visual search.

This allows iPhone users to take advantage of Google’s Circle to Search experience without having to switch to Lens. With a simple back tap, you can copy specific text and perform a visual search.