Google has found a way to give iPhone users a variation of the clever “Circle to Search” gesture. New interactions launched in January allow Android users to search by circling, highlighting, doodle, or tapping from anywhere on their device, giving them the power to search Google from any screen. It will be easily available. Of course, similar options weren't available to iPhone users because Google doesn't control the iOS operating system like he does with Android. To get around this problem, Google is currently using Apple's Action Button on iPhone 15 Pro devices, allowing a quick way to visually search anything on the screen with the press of a button. Masu.
More than just a ring/silent switch, the action button allows users to customize the functionality of the iPhone's side buttons to suit their needs. You can set the camera to start, translate conversations, enable focus mode, turn on the flashlight, and more. Alternatively, the user can assign his own shortcut to the action button to start another task, for example to start his ChatGPT audio session.
In Google's case, the company released a shortcut that allows iPhone users to start a visual search via Google Lens.
“Searching is basically a circular motion, but faster!” said Minsang Choi, Google Lens Design Manager. X's now deleted posts, we introduced shortcuts created by the Google App iOS team. (Apparently this was an unauthorized release. We have reached out to Google for comment on the removal.)
Image credit: Screenshot from X
Google's iOS apps already offer a way to use lenses for visual search, but the addition of shortcuts makes it easier to start a search with a simple gesture, just like on Android. However, it also highlights the challenges involved in trying to innovate new ways to interact with technology when building for iOS. This means I had to use a workaround instead of providing gestures.
To use this shortcut, iPhone users must install the Google app for iOS, download the shortcut, and assign it to an action button from iOS settings. Although the link to Choi's shortcuts has been removed, there is still a way to create shortcuts.
From the iOS Shortcuts app, create a shortcut that first takes a screenshot and then performs the “Find Image with Lens” action, as shown in the example below. This basically mimics the Circle with Search feature, but uses Google Lens on your iPhone.
9to5Mac, who first spotted this release, also noted that if you're not using an iPhone 15 Pro device, there's a way to set the accessibility feature “Tap Back” to launch a new shortcut instead. .
Image credit: iOS Shortcuts app screenshot