- Improvements to Chrome for iOS
- Google Lens improves search
- Tighter integration with other Google apps
If you use Google Chrome on your iPhone, you might be interested in four newly released updates. These include improvements to Google Lens search, new online shopping features and integration with Google Drive, Google Photos and Google Maps.
First, as explained in an official Google blog post, Google Lens has been updated. You can now search with Google Lens in Chrome for iOS using photos from your camera or library. Just click the search box and then click the Google Lens icon. The new update allows you to further refine your search by adding text. For example, if you have a photo of a sweatshirt, you can enter a color to narrow your search results. Or, if you have a photo of a place, you can add a question like “Where is this place?” to get a more precise answer.
Secondly, there is a new feature called “Shopping Insights”, which is currently only available in the United States. If you view a product in Chrome that Google knows is on sale online at a discount, you’ll see a notification in the address bar that says “Good Deal Now” along with a small blue and white icon. By clicking on this icon, you can view the price history of this product over time.
You’ll always use Google to search
Other changes involve improved integration between Chrome for iOS and other Google services. Now you can save files and photos directly to Google Drive or Google Photos without taking up space on your iPhone. To do this, just select the Google Drive option when saving the file, or long-press on the image and select Google Photos in the pop-up menu.
Additionally, Google Maps has been updated. In the past, Chrome for iOS allowed you to view maps in a pop-up window without opening Google Maps, but now the process has been simplified: it only takes one tap. Chrome will automatically detect and highlight URLs on web pages.
Like the Shopping Insights feature, Google Maps updates won’t be rolled out to all regions immediately. Google says both features will be rolled out to more areas over time, so it’s best to keep an eye out for updates. Be sure to update Chrome for iOS to the latest version to take advantage of these new features as soon as possible.
It should also be remembered that all these features or very similar features are already available in Chrome for Android. So if you have a device running Google Mobile OS, you won’t miss anything.
