Google has recently launched a new shortcut for iPhone 15 Pro smartphones that allows users to activate Google Lens by pressing the action button. This feature is an adaptation of Google’s ‘Surround to Search’ function available on Android smartphones. The release of the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro smartphones, as well as the Samsung Galaxy S24, has also brought new search capabilities powered by generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), including a feature called ‘Circle to Search’.
With this new shortcut, iPhone users can now search for information, compare results or make purchases by surrounding a specific element on the screen. Although Google’s ‘Surround to Search’ is not currently available on iOS devices, this new shortcut makes searching faster and easier with just the press of a button.
To use the shortcut, users must have the Google application for iOS installed on their devices. They can download the Google Lens shortcut and set it up to work with the action button through the iOS settings menu. Additionally, the shortcut can be configured using the Back Tap Accessibility feature, allowing users to utilize the same functionality on other iPhone models that do not have the action button found on the iPhone 15 Pro.
The design manager of Google Lens, Minsang Choi, shared information about this new feature in a tweet but it has since been deleted. This updated feature expands accessibility of Google Lens on iOS devices and provides users with an efficient way to search for information using their iPhones.
Google continues to innovate its products and bring them to all platforms including iPhones making it more accessible for its users worldwide.
