Exciting Update: Google Chrome Introduces Circle to Search Feature for iPhone Users!

Google is introducing new search gestures for iPhone users. Now, you can highlight anything on your screen to search for it instantly. This feature, called Lens, is available in the Google app and Chrome. It mirrors Android’s Circle to Search but isn’t available for iPhones in the same way.

With the Lens gestures, you can easily search by drawing, highlighting, or tapping on text, images, or videos. No need to take a screenshot or drill down into new tabs. For example, if you see a product you like, you can quickly find shopping options. Lens also helps you define words, identify places, plants, and animals, and more—all from your screen.

While this is similar to Circle to Search on Android, that feature works across the entire device. However, not all Android phones support it; mostly recent flagship models do.

To get started with the new Lens gestures on your iPhone, tap the three-dot menu in the Google or Chrome apps, then choose “Search Screen with Google Lens.” After that, you can highlight what you want to search using any gesture you like. Google plans to add a Lens icon in the address bar soon for easier access.

Additionally, Google is expanding AI Overviews in Lens search results. This means you’ll sometimes see AI-generated summaries and links alongside your image searches. Unfortunately, there’s no option to turn off this feature, but there are workarounds to manage the lengthy text that can appear before your results. It’s still unclear how these will integrate with Lens.