Here’s a handy new under-the-radar feature in iOS 9’s Safari browser: the ability to quickly paste an item from your pasteboard, and submit a search via Safari. iOS 9 also allows you to quickly paste a URL and submit the URL.
Both of these features require that a user have text copied to the pasteboard, whether that be a full URL, or general text for performing a search. Of course, this isn’t a huge groundbreaking feature, but it can save you seconds, and over time, seconds add up.
When you have text or a URL copied to your pasteboard, simply tap and hold on the address/search bar directly in Safari. You’ll then see the address bar turn a darker shade of grey, followed by the iOS copy & paste menu.
The copy & paste menu will automatically feature a Paste and Go or a Paste and Search option, depending on the contents of your pasteboard. As stated, if you have a URL saved to your pasteboard, you’ll be presented with a Paste and Go option. If you have general text saved to your pasteboard, you’ll be presented with Paste and Search instead.
If you’re not seeing these new options, make sure that you’re tapping and holding on the address bar directly. If you tap on the address bar and it goes into edit mode, where you can edit the text or URL in the address bar, then you will not see the new options.