When Google first showed off at Google I/O, the idea was for people to use it to identify everyday objects. You see something in the wild, point your camera at it, and get information about the object. Later on, the functionality to find places to buy it was added as well. Google Lens would make an excellent to Google’s very own image search section as one often stumbles upon images that need more context. This week, the company announced they are bringing Google Lens to Google Image Search.
Lens in Google Images can also make it easier to find and buy things you like online. For example, you might come to Google Images looking for ideas to redecorate your living room. During your search, you come across a couch you like in an image, but you may not know what style it is or where to buy it. All you need to do is press the Lens button, then either tap on a dot on the couch, or draw around it, and Google Images will show you related information and images. From there, you can learn more about it, or find places where you might be able to buy a similar couch.
Google announced earlier that they would be bringing some updates to Google Images. The goal is to make the service a more useful place for people to explore when they want to look through some images. Today’s announcement fits perfectly with their vision, and Google Lens will make a splendid addition to image search. However, there are a couple of restrictions with this feature’s initial rollout. Initially, it is only available on mobile, and today the feature is only going to be available for people in the U.S. searching in English.
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Once the integration goes live, the Lens feature shows up as an option when you select an image in the search results. When you tap the Lens icon, it allows you to trace over all the objects in the image you want to scan. Google identifies objects with a dot, which you can tap to see more information about. The Google Lens results then slide up from the bottom. Google says the feature is now live on mobile, though we haven’t been able to try it out yet.
Source: Google
