Google Lens just got a time-saving upgrade on your iPhone – here’s how it works

• Google is adding gesture searching to its Google Lens feature
• The update is coming to the Chrome and Google apps on iOS
• The firm is also working on more AI capabilities for Lens

If you use the Chrome or Google apps on your iPhone, there’s now a new way to quickly find information based on whatever is on your screen. If it works well, it could end up saving you time and make your searches a little bit easier.

The update concerns Google Lens, which lets you search using images rather than words. Google says you can now use a gesture to select something on-screen and then search for it. You can draw around an object, for example, or tap it to select it. It works whether you’re reading an article, shopping for something new, or watching a video, as Google explains.

The best iPhones have had a similar feature for a while, but it’s always been an unofficial workaround that required using the Action button and the Shortcuts app. Now, it’s a built-in feature in some of the most popular iOS apps available.

Both the Chrome and Google apps on iOS already have Google Lens built in, but the past implementation was a little clunkier than today’s update. Before, you had to save an image or take a screenshot, and then upload it to Google Lens. That would potentially involve using multiple apps and was much more of a hassle. Now, a quick gesture is all it takes.

How to use the new Google Lens on iPhone

When you’re using the Chrome or Google apps, tap the three-dot menu button, then select Search Screen with Google Lens or Search this Screen, respectively. This will put a colored overlay on top of the web page you’re currently viewing.

You'll see a box at the bottom of your screen reading, “Circle or tap anywhere to search.” You can now use a gesture to select an item on-screen. Doing so will automatically search for the selected object using Google Lens.

The new gesture feature will roll out globally this week and will be available in the Chrome and Google apps on iOS. Google also confirmed it will add a new Lens icon in the app’s address bar in the future, which will give you another way to use gestures in Google Lens.

Google added that it is also leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to add new abilities to Lens. This will let it look up more novel or unique subjects, and doing so will mean Google’s AI Overviews appear more frequently in your results.

This feature will also be rolled out this week and is coming to English-language users in nations where AI Overviews are available. For now, it's set to arrive in the Google app for Android and iOS first, with Chrome desktop and mobile availability arriving later.

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