Google is adding some more features to its Chrome iOS browser to lure iPhone users away from Safari. Chrome on iOS will soon get built-in Google Lens support, allowing Chrome users to search for anything they see using just their camera. Translations are also improved, along with better support for calendar items and a new mini Google Maps view.
Google Lens support makes searching for objects like plants and clothes a lot easier in Chrome. Currently you have to use the separate Google app to access Lens, but Google will add this same feature to Chrome in the coming months, so you can use existing or new photos to search from the Lens icon in the Chrome app. address bar on iOS devices.
However, other Chrome on iOS improvements are available immediately. Google has improved translation support so that Chrome on iOS users can translate part of a page by selecting text and choosing the Google Translate option. It will come in handy for pages that use a mix of languages, as Chrome – and even Safari – can already offer to translate entire pages.
Chrome on iOS users will also get better support for calendar items. You can create Google Calendar events in Chrome without switching to the Calendar app or entering dates manually. Pressing and holding dates within a website now includes an option to add to Google Calendar, which automatically populates with time and location information.
Finally, Google is also improving map support in Chrome on iOS. Soon you’ll be able to simply tap and hold on an address to see a mini-view of Google Maps in Chrome. This is very useful for websites that don’t link to Google Maps, so you don’t have to manually copy and paste the address into a maps app.
