Select iPhones can imitate Google’s handy Circle to Search tool with a new shortcut
Select Pixel and Galaxy smartphones have the exclusive Circle to Search feature. Pressing and holding the home button on either model brings up an overlay ‘that lets youβ¦ circle objects’ on the screen to identify them via Google Search. We’ve been wondering if and when Google plans to widely roll out Circle to Search to more smartphones. Funnily enough, a similar feature was recently released, but on the iPhone.
It’s called Search Your Screenshot and was created by a group of developers working on the Google Search app for iOS. Minsang Choi, design manager at Google Lens, says it adds a visual search feature to the action button on an iPhone 15 Pro. Pressing the button will take a screenshot of what’s on the screen and the software will proceed to perform a Google Lens scan. Once this is done, search results will appear via buttons complete with images, forum posts and store links to the object being detected. Choi says, βIt’s basically Circle to Search, but faster.β
He has since deleted his post on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter), where he initially shared information about the shortcut. We have the images he posted. They show a settings menu where presumably Choi configures Search Your Screenshot on an iPhone. The second image shows the shortcut that appears on the unique action button interface, while the third image shows results for a Teenage Engineering computer case.
If you want to see it in action, as part of the coverage, 9To5Google created a YouTube video demonstrating Search Your Screenshot. Choi says you can try out the tool by installing the Google Search app on your iPhone or downloading the app iCloud shortcut.
How to enable on older iPhones
Going back to The 9To5Google report, they made an interesting discovery. Search Your Screenshot is not exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro, as it works on older models that support the Back Tap gesture. This means that devices as old as the iPhone 8 can use the feature. However, setting it up on an older model requires more work.
Apple has instructions to teach people how to connect shortcuts to Back Tap. This involves going to the Settings menu, choosing the gesture you want to use (double-tap or triple-tap), then applying βFind your screenshot.β According to the publication, you’ll need to select “Always allow” the first time you use the tool to enable Google Lens uploads.
After reading everything, we couldn’t help but wonder about other Android phones. This feature is not available on Google Search for Android, which is strange. While it may not be the same as Circle to Search, Search Your Screenshot is still a useful tool. That’s why we contacted the technology giant to ask if there are any plans for further expansion. We’ll let you know if we hear back.
Until then, check out Ny Breaking’s list of the best iPhones for 2024.