The Google I / O of 2017 was the first time that the company based in Mountain View made reference to Lens, a new technology, sooner or later, would end up reaching each and every one of the existing Android devices in the market with the goal to completely change the way people search and obtain information, all through the mobile camera.
Two years since its original announcement, Google Lens is already present in millions of Android devices around the world after a brief period of exclusivity in Google’s Pixel terminals. However, there are still those who do not know the full potential of this useful feature. In this guide, we review everything that can be done with Google Lens.
First of all: what Google Lens is and how it works
At the time of its presentation, Google referred to Lens as a system of recognition and visual identification based on artificial intelligence, which takes advantage of the company’s advances in terms of Big Data and image analysis through services such as Google Goggles disappeared, or Google’s own image search.
In fact, Google Goggles is considered the forerunner of Google Lens. And the truth is that there are more than obvious similarities between the two tools: the two allow you to identify objects or places through the mobile camera, and both base their “intelligence” on the immense source of information that Google has. The main difference is that artificial intelligence comes into play in Google Lens, and not only identifies what it is capturing, but also understands it and in some way relates it to the rest of existing information about the object or place in question in all of them. the platforms and services of the company, so that the user has at his disposal everything -or almost everything- what he needed to know in a fast way, but above all, simple and convenient.
There are several different ways to use Google Lens, and each one allows you to carry out different actions. These are the ways to run Lens on an Android device:
From the Google Assistant: deploy the Wizard and click on the Lens icon located in the middle button at the bottom.
From the camera: if your phone is compatible, you will find a direct access to Google Lens directly in the native camera app.
In Google Photos: to get information about an object or place that appears in an image, open a photo in Google Photos and click on the Google Lens icon.
Everything you can do with Google Lens
You already know how to access Google Lens, and now what? You can do much more than you think thanks to this useful tool integrated in your mobile. These are all the utilities that are currently integrated in Lens:
Discover new objects and places
If you want to know the exact name of a particular type of plant, the breed of a dog you have never seen, or even the address of a monument that you saw on the Internet, just open Google Lens and point to the object or place in question . Once the analysis is finished, you will get all the information you need.
Copy texts of images and documents…
When you see an interesting poster on the street, or you get a business card that you’re probably going to throw away as soon as you get home, but you need to save some of the data that appears, you can use Google Lens to capture the text and copy it , so that later you can paste it in your favorite application of notes, or send it through WhatsApp -or any other messaging app-
Or translate texts in other languages
In addition, if the text you capture is in another language, Google Lens will give you the possibility to translate it in real time through Google Translate.
Compare prices and buy products at the best price
You see a piece of clothing in a shop window, and you think to buy it until you see the price. Google Lens can also help you find bargains, or at least similar products at a lower price. Again, it is enough to focus with the camera on the object in question, and once detected it will be shown in the main online stores in case it is available, as well as similar alternatives visually.
Read QR codes
One of the lesser-known features of Google Lens is its ability to read QR codes. You no longer need to have an application installed for this purpose; Simply point the camera at the code in question, and Google Lens will execute the corresponding action associated with it.
Is that book worth it?
Thanks to the integration of Lens with other Google services, it is also possible to obtain the best reviews and opinions on works such as books, paintings and other artistic creations.
Google Lens is a platform in constant evolution, and month after month landed new developments to turn this tool into an increasingly useful service. Therefore, we will update this article constantly, to introduce the latest improvements and new utilities that are coming to Google Lens.