Google Lens is one of the most interesting features you can have on your Android phone. It lets you search the world around you by pointing your camera at something. To make it more interesting, Google has added new updates that make its capabilities stronger.
When next you see anything interesting, make a video of it and ask questions about what you see. Lens will give you AI-powered answers, and you can even ask them out loud. If you can’t wait to try these features, here’s more information.
Ask questions & get answers with images and videos
On October 3rd, Google announced new features on the Google Lens app. Now, when you point your camera at something, you don’t only take pictures. You can add a voice recording asking a question to the search. Also, you can shoot a 20-second video with your inquiry to get answers.
As someone who has a bad record of caring for plants and always wonders why they’re wilting, I can imagine myself asking, “What’s wrong with it?” and obtaining potential causes.
All you have to do is access the Google Lens app and long-press the search icon. Frankly, it’s a much-needed update for more natural and less robotic inquiries. Plus, it’s not limited to answering your weird questions.
When you spot a nice product while shopping, snapping a picture will help you find its price, reviews, and where to buy it—kind of like what Circle to Search does, but involving the less fancy act of circling it with a stylus.
New Lens features are available widely, except video search
Lucky for you, the media files you capture and search on Google Lens don’t save to your device. However, you can view your media search history within the app. So you won’t have more images or videos of stuff you’ll probably never buy.
The latest features are available to users globally through the Google app on both Android and iOS and even the Google Lens app. But you need to be part of the AI Overviews and more experiments in the Search Labs program if you want to use the video search capability. You can enroll using Chrome or Google apps. Plus, video search only currently supports English queries.
While waiting for a wider release, you can use Lens to hear a song you like from anywhere on your phone without switching apps to Shazam or other audio-detecting apps.
Just hold down the home button in your phone’s navigation bar to summon the new feature powered by Circle to Search. It may not work if you’ve configured the button to launch the Google Assistant instead and if you haven’t received the update yet.
Related: How To Use Google Lens On Your Android Phone
Google is king of search and mobile AI implementation
Adding to the Lens updates, Google is rolling out AI-organized search results pages in the USA, starting with recipes and meal inspiration on mobile. So, when you search for something like “easy dinner recipes,” you won’t just see a simple list of links on the search results pages. Instead, you’ll get a full-page experience with relevant content tailored just for you.
Say you look for “easy dinner recipes,” all kinds of content from blog posts to videos demonstrating how to cook them, and more. They’ll all have an organized view with detailed headers and descriptions that are personalized to help you find what you need.
Finally, Google is launching a new design for its AI Overviews section. The new design will make it easier to find related content, including links to relevant websites directly in the overview text. Testing has shown that this boosts traffic to supporting sites and simplifies your experience. Also coming to the section are ads to connect you with businesses and products.
