Google is expanding the availability of its search features in the Chrome browser for the iOS software platform. iPhone users will now be able to use the Lens feature to highlight an object of interest on the screen and instantly find related information on the web. In simple terms, the new tool is an analogue of the Circle to Search feature, which is available on Android.
Image source: Google
The Lens visual search feature will allow iOS users to search for anything in the Google app and Chrome browser by highlighting an area of interest on the screen and instantly jumping to related information. It supports working with text, images, and videos without having to take a screenshot or open a new tab. For example, Lens will be useful if a user sees something they like and wants to find it in a store to buy it.
Essentially, the Lens feature for iOS is the equivalent of Circle to Search for Android. However, Lens only works in the Google app and Chrome browser, while Circle to Search can be used at any time while interacting with the device. However, Circle to Search is currently only supported on a limited number of flagship Android smartphones. Google said that a shortcut to access Lens visual search will soon appear in the browser’s address bar.
Google is also expanding the availability of AI-generated summaries in response to user queries. This includes visual queries via the Lens tool, although it is noted that at this stage AI summaries are not shown for every search query, but only in certain cases.