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Google hopes to dominate the browser market share completely by rolling out new features and improvements to Chrome in iOS. In a recent announcement, the company highlights the integration of other app capabilities into its browser, allowing users to have a smoother experience without having to switch between apps. One includes the addition of the Lens function in Chrome, which iOS users formerly had to access via the separate Google app.
Google shares that there will be a total of four new features coming to Chrome for iOS. First is the “mini Google Maps” in Chrome that will be accessible when users press and hold a detected address on a webpage. The option will then appear, allowing the user to view the address within the Chrome app instead of Google Maps.
The search giant explains that Chrome will employ AI to detect important details within webpages, allowing it to do this on location details. Google adds that the same approach will also be used on detected dates, so users can add events to their Google Calendar without opening the app. Tapping detected dates will give users the option to “Add to Google Calendar.” Once selected, it will auto-populate the calendar date with the details (time, location, and description) of the webpage where the date is taken. This will be useful when users are visiting dedicated pages for events.
Google’s AI use also extends to language translations on Chrome. According to the company, Chrome on iOS users will notice that they will be given automatic suggestions to auto-translate pages to their language when it detects that the place is using foreign languages. Additionally, there will be a new option for iOS users to translate only the highlighted texts on Chrome instead of the whole page.
Lastly, Google plans to add a dedicated Lens icon to the Chrome on iOS address bar. This is expected to arrive in the coming months, which will allow users to use their device pictures or iOS camera to perform searches. This will add to the current Lens function in Chrome on iOS that can be summoned by long-pressing an image on pages.
Google Search is the default search engine for Safari on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This allows Google to almost completely own the search engine market worldwide at 93.12% at the present time. However, it is still partially sharing the browser market with Apple, which presently owns a 20.72% market share globally. By improving Chrome with AI capabilities, Google aims to convince iOS users to move to its browser and leave Safari completely. Knowing Apple, however, this probably won’t be that easy for Google, especially now that the iPhone creator is reportedly working on its own AI creations. There are still no other details about where Apple’s AI will be used, but the company will certainly rely on it to aid it in its variety of businesses, including its Safari browser.
