A new iPhone shortcut replicates Android’s best new feature

Unfortunately, one of Android’s best new features, Circle to Search, is not available for iPhone users. But Google is surprising Apple fans with a solution that essentially replicates the function.

Google Lens design manager Minsang Choi shared a new iOS shortcut in a post on “It’s basically Circle to Search, but faster,” exclaims Choi.

Further up 9to5Mac, author Abner Li discovered that the shortcut can also be used by iPhones that support Back Tap. The accessibility feature allows you to double or triple tap the back of your iPhone and activate system functions like Magnifier, turn on the flashlight, or in this case, run an iOS shortcut.

If you want to try out the new Circle to Search-ish feature using Back Tap, first confirm that you have an iPhone 6S or newer running the latest iOS, then:

Now when you’re browsing your phone, just tap the back of your phone and the shortcut will automatically take a screenshot and run a Google Lens scan. It’s not precise like on Android where you just circle what you want, but it works!