Google Lens - Image recognition and search

Have you ever wanted to know the name of that mysterious plant in your friend's apartment or figure out what breed that cute dog in the park is? Well, fear not, because Google Lens has your back! This incredible app lets you explore the world around you like never before—just by using your phone's camera. From scanning and translating text to identifying plants and animals, Google Lens is here to make your life easier and more exciting.

Looking for a convenient way to translate text, whether it's from a business card, poster, or a random paragraph you stumbled upon? With Google Lens, you can simply point your camera at the text and let it do the work for you! Say goodbye to the days of manually typing out long sentences or struggling to decipher complicated codes—it's all about efficiency and simplicity with this app.

But wait, there's more! Are you a foodie who struggles with indecisiveness when it comes to ordering from a menu? Google Lens can help you out by showing you popular dishes based on reviews from Google Maps. No more second-guessing or playing food roulette at restaurants—let technology lend you a helping hand!

Not just limited to text and food, Google Lens also allows you to explore places around you with ease. Whether you're curious about the history behind a landmark, the ratings of a restaurant, or the operating hours of a storefront, this app has got you covered. It's like having a personal tour guide right in your pocket, ready to enlighten you about the world at every turn.

And if you're a fashion enthusiast or interior design lover, Google Lens can assist you in finding similar clothes, furniture, or home decor items to the ones that catch your eye. No more endless searches or trying to describe what you're looking for—simply snap a picture and let Google Lens do the rest!

How does Google Lens work?

The Google Lens app is only available to download on Android devices, and the technology is integrated into Android cameras. However, there are a couple of ways that all phone users can access Google Lens. Here are the 4 main ways you can use Google Lens on your smartphone or tablet:  

Google Lens app (Android users only): Download the app and take a picture of the thing you’d like to know more about. This is probably the simplest way to access Google Lens if you have a vision impairment because you don’t have to navigate to the Lens feature – you’re already in the right place. You can also use Google Assistant – the virtual assistant on Android phones – to launch the Google Lens app. If you have Google Assistant set up, say ‘Hey Google’ or gesture to activate it and say "Use Google Lens", or tap the keyboard icon in the lower-right corner to type the same command.

Camera (Android users only): Android users can access Google Lens by opening their camera and tapping the Lens button. Alternatively, you can use a screen reader to locate the Lens button, then tap it. Once your camera has the Lens interface, take a photo and Google will bring up information about the subject of your photo.

Google Photos (all phones): Open the app, select a photo, and use a screen reader to locate the Lens icon. Once you’ve tapped the Lens icon, Google will provide a search option or a translate option.

Google app (all phones): Open the app and click the Lens icon in the search bar, or use a screen reader to tell you where to find the Lens icon and then tap it. Next, choose a photo from your camera roll and Google will tell you more information about what’s in your image.

Circle to Search[edit]

On January 17, 2024, Samsung Electronics and Google announced Circle to Search, a new feature that allows users to search the web by tapping on circling images that features Lens integration, the feature was originally just on Samsung Galaxy S24 and the Pixel 8, but expanded on other phones of those products, as well as the iOS operating system (via the Google app) and the Google Chrome web browser (albeit known as Search with Lens).

PROS

Simple point-and-scan operation

Recognizes objects, people, and places

Built-in QR code scanner

Robust text translation that works offline

CONS

Not supported in some regions

Availability[edit]

Google officially launched Google Lens on October 4, 2017, with app previews pre-installed into the Google Pixel 2, not yet widely available for other devices. In November 2017, the feature began rolling out into the Google Assistant for Pixel and Pixel 2 phones. A preview of Lens has also been implemented into the Google Photos app for Pixel phones.[6] On March 5, 2018, Google officially released Google Lens to Google Photos on non-Pixel phones. Support for Lens in the iOS version of Google Photos was made on March 15, 2018. Beginning in May 2018, Google Lens was made available within Google Assistant on OnePlus devices as well as being integrated into camera apps of various Android phones. A standalone Google Lens app was made available on Google Play in June 2018. Device support is limited, although it is not clear which devices are not supported or why. It requires Android Marshmallow (6.0) or newer. On December 10, 2018, Google rolled out the Lens visual search feature to the Google app for iOS. In 2022, Google Lens gradually replaced the reverse image search functionality of Google Images, first by replacing it in Google Chrome and later by making it officially available as a web application. A July 2023 update to Google's chatbot Bard integrated Google Lens, allowing users to contextualize their prompts by uploading images and adding image retrieval functionality.

Oh, and did we mention that it can also quickly scan QR codes and barcodes? Yup, Google Lens is the multitasking champion you never knew you needed. So why wait? Dive into a world of convenience, knowledge, and fun with Google Lens today!