Enhancing iPhone Search with Circle: Introducing Lens Shortcut

Earlier in the year, Google introduced a Circle to Search feature for Android that allows users to take a screenshot and choose what to search for. Thanks to Google Lens and iOS Shortcuts, this feature can now be replicated on any iPhone.

Google has mentioned that the main distinction between Google Lens and Circle to Search is how the latter is easily accessible on Android by long-pressing the gesture bar or home button. Despite this, they both utilize the same search and OCR technology, with Circle to Search benefiting from the ability to circle or lasso items for selection instead of just tapping.

Google Lens has been available on iOS through the Google (Search) app for some time.

The Google app now provides a shortcut that captures a screenshot and sends it to Google Lens for analysis. This “Search your screenshot” shortcut can be activated effortlessly using the Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro.

The ease of access can be replicated on all other modern iPhones thanks to the Back Tap gesture. By double or triple tapping the back of the device, users can launch the shortcut.

1. On your iPhone, navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Touch.
2. Scroll down and select Back Tap.
3. Choose either Double Tap or Triple Tap.
4. Scroll down to the Shortcuts section and select a shortcut.
5. Tap Back Tap to apply the setting.
6. Double-tap or triple-tap the back of your phone to run the shortcut.

Your iPhone will capture a screenshot of the current display and send it to Google Lens for quick text copying, translation, or visual search, with the option to add a text query. When running the shortcut for the first time, select “Always Allow” to permit image sharing.

While Circle to Search provides a more optimized user experience, this Google Lens shortcut extends the visual search functionality to every iPhone by leveraging native iOS features. It’s a smart move by Google.