Circle to Search for the iPhone could arrive via Google Chrome

Smarter web searching in iOS

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Android users have been busy making use ofCircle to Searchsince it debuted on theSamsung Galaxy S24andGoogle Pixel 8in January – and it appears that iPhone owners may be able to make use of the AI-powered feature themselves in the near future.

As spotted byThe Mac Observer, a new “Lens Circle to Search” flag has been quietly added toGoogleChrome for iOS.Google Lensis the technology that underpins Google to Search, enabling users to run a search based on any text or images on screen.

It therefore looks as though the ability to circle (or squiggle over) anything on screen to run a Google search will soon be available in Chrome for iOS – though it’s not clear when. It’s not quite the same system-wide integration as on Android, but it’s something.

You can already use Circle to Search on an iPhone, sort of: it’s basicallya custom shortcut to Google Lens. There’s no circling involved, but it works in any app via a screenshot, and does well enough at searching the web with visual information.

Keep on circling

If you’re completely new to Circle to Search, it makes searching for anything on screen – like a plant species, a car model, or a book quote – faster and easier than ever. You can then tweak and expand the search as neededthrough Google Lens.

We’re unlikely to ever see full Circle to Search integration for iOS, because third-party apps aren’t allowed the high-level access that would be required. It’s more likely thatApplewill roll out something similar itself.

That may happen at itsWWDC 2024event starting on June 10, where we’re expecting an avalanche of AI-related software announcements – so very much along the lines of theGoogle I/O 2024event that ran earlier this week.

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Google says Circle to Search has already reached 100 million Android devices, and isheading to 100 million morebefore the end of the year. It also looks as though the feature will beheading to Chrome on the desktoppretty soon too.

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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