‘Circle to search’, new Google function that lets us search anything in sight our screen It expands to new devices in a few steps. It launched on the Samsung Galaxy S24 this year, but is now available on a wide range of Android smartphones.
The distribution of this innovation on iOS was not possible due to the limitations of Apple’s operating system. Google doesn’t have a lot of freedom to implement features in its apps. However, according to 9to5Google, the company has introduced a very interesting alternative for iPhone users.
Alternative to ‘circle to search’
Using ‘Peripheral for Search’ on Android is very simple. We can call this function by long pressing the home button or navigation bar. The next step is to circle what we want to search for and that’s it. However, the iPhone alternative can work with the following device: action button or Back Tap option.
The trick is that the Shortcuts application, which is responsible for taking the screenshot and sending it to Google Lens, enters the scene, so that we can then define the area of the image that interests us to start the search. There are two ways to enable this option, but which one you choose will depend on your iPhone model.
If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or newer, you will need to select the action button path. If you have an iPhone 8 or later with the latest version of iOS, you will need to choose the Back Tap route.
Steps to follow on an iPhone with an action button
- Download the Google app from the App Store.
- Get the “Search your screenshot” shortcut.
- Go Adjustment > Action button.
- Swipe up Shortcuts and press the blue button to select the “Search your screenshot” shortcut.
Steps to follow on an iPhone with Back Tap
- Download the Google app from the App Store.
- Get the “Search your screenshot” shortcut.
- Go Adjustment > Accessibility > Faucet > Tap back.
- Choose between “Double-tap” or “Triple-tap.”
- Scroll to: Shortcuts and select “Search for your screenshot”.
The next step is to start using this great option. Just press and hold the action button or tap the back of the iPhone two or three times. Run the “Search for your screenshot” shortcut. Then define the capture’s area of interest to see the search results.
It’s also worth noting that Google Lens also allows you to highlight the capture text and even translate it into different languages. As we can see, this alternative does not have the ability to select items containing circles, but it offers an experience quite similar to the ‘Circle for search’ experience found on Android devices.
Pictures | Feast Feyissa | Svstudioart | mia baker
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