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

tech.hindustantimes.com:

Google's widely used 'Circle to Search' feature, which took the Android world by storm in 2024, is now available to iPhone users. This artificial intelligence-driven tool has gained popularity for its ability to perform visual searches on the go, and its arrival on iPhones is a welcome upgrade, though it comes with some limitations.

Initially exclusive to Android devices, the feature has been rebranded as “Screen Search with Google Lens” for iPhones. To use this, users will need to install the Google Lens app. However, unlike its Android counterpart, it won't work system-wide on iPhones. It is currently available only within the Chrome and Google apps. This restriction is one of the trade-offs that Google had to make to bring the feature to iPhone users, but it still offers significant utility for those within the supported apps.

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To use the feature, users will find it in the three-dot menu located in the top-right corner of both the Chrome and Google apps on iOS. Once selected, it allows users to highlight, draw, or tap objects on the screen without leaving the app. This makes browsing with Chrome or searching on the Google app more interactive, as it enables users to perform a visual search instantly.

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Google has stated that this feature is most useful while browsing on Chrome. Users can now quickly search for information on items they encounter while surfing the web without needing to take a screenshot or open a new tab. In the coming months, Google will add a new Lens icon to the address bar for easy access to the Screen Search feature.

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Additionally, Google is expanding the capabilities of Google Lens itself. The new AI Overview feature, already a part of regular Google searches, will