Google previously poked fun at iPhones for lacking the visual search functionality provided by Circle to Search. However, a very similar feature is now arriving on iPhones thanks to iOS Shortcuts and Google Lens. Users of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max can easily activate the visual search feature through the action button.
Back Tap or the Action Button can be used to trigger the feature once activated
Google Lens has been available on iOS for a long time at this point. Minsang Choi, Design Manager at Google Lens, states that iPhone users can now enjoy a visual search experience similar to Android’s Circle to Search through the Google App. The Google App takes a screenshot and then utilizes Google Lens to process the image.
For older iPhones lacking the Action Button, users can still easily activate the visual search feature using the Back Tap gesture. Recent iPhone models allow users to tap the back of the device to launch the shortcut. This gesture can be enabled in Settings > Accessibility > Touch, where users can choose between Double Tap or Triple Tap under Back Tap, then assign a shortcut. Once configured, users can trigger the feature by tapping the back of their iPhone.
In addition to the quicker search of visual objects, the shortcut in the Google App now also makes it easier and more convenient for iPhones to leverage Google Lens in copying and translating text from images.
Earlier this year, Google introduced the Circle to Search feature, which was initially exclusive to Android and only available on the Google Pixel 8 and Galaxy S24 series models. Google and Samsung have since expanded the feature to include many older models.
According to Google, the main distinction between Circle to Search and Google Lens is that the former is universally accessible on Android and can be activated with a simple gesture or long press. However, both functionalities utilize optical character recognition (OCR) technology. A Google executive mentioned in a podcast that Circle to Search is essentially a refined version of Google Lens, optimized for specific purposes on Android.
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