what is google lens homework

How To : Solve Math Problems with Google Lens' Homework Mode

Since launching Google Lens as a a Pixel-exclusive feature in 2017, Google has not only expanded the availability of the tool to Android and iOS, but also built upon its functionality. Now, in addition to translator , tip calculator , personal shopper , and tour guide , Google has added math tutor to the job description for Google Lens.

Yes, with Homework mode, Google Lens can help you solve equations and learn math. And it arrives just in time, as many students in the US find themselves in remote learning situations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Don't Miss: 8 Ways Google Lens Can Help You Be More Productive

Step 1: Access Google Lens

There are multiple ways to access this feature, but here's the best one. Open the Google Assistant by long-pressing your home button or swiping inward from one of the bottom corners. From there, press the Google Lens icon (to the left of the mic icon) and grant access to your camera if prompted.

If you have a Pixel smartphone, then Google Lens is built into your Camera app. When you open the Camera, tap More to access the additional camera features, where you'll find Lens.

Step 2: Enter Homework Mode

With Lens open, you'll notice that the camera view is constantly scanning what it sees. But, for the purpose of solving math problems, you'll want to select Homework mode from the ribbon menu at the bottom.

Step 3: Scan the Equation

Center the target brackets over the equation until Lens recognizes it and highlights it on the screen. Tap the equation, and Lens will analyze it. Lens can recognized typed or hand-written equations, though legibility can handicap the app's abilities for the latter.

Step 4: Solve & Learn

For simpler equations, Google will provide the steps to solve the problem as well as the solution. For more complex functions, Google will punt to other services from the web, such as Cymath, MathPapa, and Wolfram|Alpha.

You can also scroll further to find other resources, such as flashcards for similar problems from Quizlet and key concept explanations. Homework mode isn't as helpful for solving word problems, however, the hive mind of Google does provide resources from across the web for these exercises as well.

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Google Lens Can Now Help With Math and Science Problems

Google Lens homework help is here and it's a game-changer when you want to solve math and science problems.

Google is looking to help children and parents get ready for a whole new form of school when education resumes in the coming months. The company announced a slew of new educational tools and features on The Keyword .

While all the changes seem useful, the one that really stands out from the crowd is the update to Google Lens. It was already a useful tool, but Google is adding a new feature that will allow it to help with solving difficult math and science questions.

Google Lens Homework Help

The new Google Lens feature uses Socratic to allow students or parents to take a photo of a difficult problem and get help.

It's not just a tool that provides you with the answer, either (though it does give you the answer in the end). Instead, Google Lens and Socratic will provide step-by-step instructions to solve the problem. It'll also show helpful explainers that will help the student actually learn to solve the math or science equation. After all, the point isn't just to find out the answer, but to understand how to reach it yourself.

Google Lens is an awesome visual search tool that's becoming more useful as the company introduces new functionality to it. With this new homework feature, not only does it function as a cool way to find information, but it could be a game-changer for kids who struggle with difficult math problems.

For science, Google Lens will show graphics and explanations of the concept you're struggling with when it scans a question.

How to Use Google Lens for Homework Help

The feature is incredibly easy to use. To start with, you need to tap the graduation cap within Google Lens. From there, it'll prompt you to take a photo of the problem you need help with. Google Lens will highlight all of the equations or questions it sees, and you tap the one you're stuck on . Next, you'll have the option to copy the text, send it to your computer via Chrome, or edit the math equation.

Below those options is a Steps to Solve area. You can use this to learn how to solve the problem and ultimately find the answer to the question. This same method applies to both math and science questions, though the type of results will vary.

Get More Homework Help

Homework is hard. We've all struggled with various concepts in school throughout the years. Thankfully, the internet has made finding homework help much easier. Check out these Chrome extensions that will help with your homework for even more assistance.

Google Will Solve Your Kids' Math Homework. That's a Good Thing.

Here's the perfect tool for the homeschooling era.

• The tool is powered by optical character recognition (OCR), which uses scanning and artificial intelligence.
• The ability to check work is a gamechanger for families facing emergency homeschooling.

Google has announced a new technology, powered by an acquisition called Socratic, that will let students take photos of their math homework in order to get the solutions. Google says it wants the Lens-powered technology to help parents and caretakers who are homeschooling, likely for the first time, as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Google's search engine is already crammed with autosuggestions that you can tell are seeking homework answers. When you search for a classic novel, the related searches are always things like “Darcy house name” or “Meaning of dance scene.” Math is harder to Google because of the array of symbols the average person doesn’t know how to type, and people’s math anxiety to begin with makes it more difficult to measuredly seek out what they need.

➡ You love numbers. So do we. Let's nerd out over numbers together.

The specific Google Lens integration doesn’t have a set release date, but Socratic is already available for people to download and use. Using Socratic, students can examine a variety of different subjects, but the robust math functionality really stands out—and took six more months to develop . The app uses artificial intelligence to recommend more and more relevant resources and tutorials to students.

Socratic uses optical character recognition (OCR), whose scope begins with simple scanning of documents using letter “patterns.” Older OCR users may remember the days when “cl” often became “d,” for example, and cheaper or more primitive OCR can still conflate characters this way. More advanced OCR began to consider the same factors as spellcheck or grammar check, using context of entire words or phrases.

Several layers of functionality are happening when a photograph of handwritten math homework is turned into a solution or a resource list. Without peeking behind the scenes of Socratic in particular, we can still explore what’s going on using generalized logic from computing and programming.

First, the OCR is turning handwriting into digitized content—that means addressing a squashed or tilted addition sign, for example, and recognizing that the common “x” used for multiplication by lower level math students is an operator, not a letter or algebra “x.” Then the software must store each part of the mathematical phrase as a separate variable that can be acted on.

In many languages, numbers are “primitive” variables, to use the programming term. Basically, the number can be directly stored as itself without requiring an intermediary bookmark, compared with what’s next: storing the idea of an addition operator. (This is very simplified, and some languages choose to store numbers another way. Large numbers are also handled differently from small ones.)

Once all the pieces are considered separate and usable, the programming must do the intended math to get the correct answer and compare that back to what your photograph actually depicts. Even calculators have surprising computing ability in the form of things like order of operations, but for a long time this was not a given. Today, the absolute cheapest calculator you can buy can do square roots and even store values for you .

If you can't believe Google will just do your kids' homework for them, then you haven't been paying attention to how children have used Google for at least 15 years, let alone graphing calculators that have had capacity to solve at least some functions since 1998 . But adding robust technique and tutorial support is a great new angle that should hopefully help parents and tutors feel empowered to walk kids through any math problems they encounter.

Caroline Delbert is a writer, avid reader, and contributing editor at Pop Mech. She's also an enthusiast of just about everything. Her favorite topics include nuclear energy, cosmology, math of everyday things, and the philosophy of it all. 

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How-To Geek

What is google lens, and how do you use it.

That colorful camera icon is very powerful.

Quick Links

What is google lens, what does google lens do, how to use google lens, key takeaways.

Google Lens is an image and text recognition app that uses Google Search to deliver results based on what it sees in photos.

You've probably seen the colorful camera icon in the Google Search bar or the Google app. It's an unassuming shortcut that leads to a variety of impressive abilities. This is Google Lens, and it's a Google app you should know.

Google Lens is most easily described as the visual component of Google Search. You typically do Google Searches with text queries, but Google Lens uses images and your camera as input. It identifies things in images---such as QR codes , plants, text, and products---then delivers information or search results related to the object or text.

Long-time smartphone users may remember an app called " Google Goggles ." It was launched in 2010, and it was one of our first looks at what image recognition software could do with the cameras we were starting to carry around with us everywhere. Goggles was the precursor to Google Lens.

Google Lens was officially launched in 2017 and pre-installed on the Pixel 2 smartphone. Since then, Lens has slowly crept into more and more Google services: Google Assistant , Google Search , and Google Photos . Google Lens will also be integrated with the company's AI chatbot, Google Bard .

Related: 20 Classic Smartphone Apps: Where Are They Now?

Google Lens essentially lets you do Google Searches by simply pointing your camera at things. What it can do with what it sees is pretty amazing. Google Lens can tell you a lot more than just what you're looking at.

Got a math equation that you can't figure out? Don't bother typing the whole thing into your calculator--- point Google Lens at it . See some text in the real world that you don't feel like manually typing? Snap a photo and let Google Lens copy it for you . Find a weird bug in your backyard that you're not sure about? Google Lens can identify it for you .

These are just some of the simple things you can do with Google Lens. It can also read text from the real world outload, translate text, search the web for an image you found, and tell you where to buy something you see out in the world. It's pretty darn cool .

Related: Why You Should Be Using Google Lens: 7 Awesome Uses

Google Lens is available in the Google app for iPhone , iPad , and Android ---simply tap the colorful camera icon in the search bar. In a desktop browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, you can use Lens by clicking the icon in the search bar on google.com .

How to Use Google Lens on iPhone & Android

To use Google Lens on the iPhone, iPad, and Android, open the Google app and tap the colorful camera icon on the right side of the search bar.

Next, you can choose from different functions under the shutter button before pointing your camera at an object or text and snapping a photo.

You can also use photos you already took from the section under the viewfinder for Lens searches.

That's how easy it is to use Google Lens! If you have an Android phone, you may also be able to use Lens directly from one of the multiple modes in the camera app.

How to Use Google Lens on Desktop

To use Google Lens on the web, in a desktop browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, first head to Google.com and tap the colorful camera icon on the right side of the search bar.

Next, you can either drag a photo into the box, browse for a photo on your device, or paste a link to a photo.

Now you can select text in the image, see visually similar images, or click "Find the Image Source" to try and find where the image originated from.

Google Lens on the web is much more limited than the mobile apps. It's good for reverse image searches, but not much more.

Google has various search products that mainly focus on text and voice searches. Google Assistant has some overlap with Google Lens, but it's still mainly about voice and text. Google Lens is the go-to when it comes to searching with images.

Search what you see with Lens

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Lens is also available in the Camera app of select Android devices.

Shopping results in Lens are available in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, and United States.

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Google Lens guide: How to use Google's powerful visual search tool

Published on June 16, 2023

Google Lens is the visual search tool you never knew you needed. Think of it as Google Search, but for images. It lets you look up information on things you see, translate and copy text from pictures, get help with your schoolwork, and much more. The best thing about it? It doesn’t require any typing.

Launched in 2017, Google Lens is available for Android or iOS, and it’s integrated into Google Assistant, Google Photos, some camera apps, and the Chrome browser .

Google Lens taps into Google’s huge trove of data, internet services, and machine learning algorithms. While it’s less popular than other Google services, Lens is a seriously impressive tool that virtually everyone will find useful in their daily lives.

How Google Lens works

Google describes Lens as a “set of vision-based computing capabilities that can understand what you’re looking at.”

Google Lens compares the picture you just took (or even the image in your viewfinder) against a huge database of images from around the web. Machine learning algorithms sort and rank indexed images based on how closely they match your shot.

Lens attempts to “understand” what’s in the picture. If it “sees” text, links, or QR codes, it will give you the option to interact with these elements. Taking a picture of a landmark like the Eiffel Tower will provide information about it. If the image contains a product like a pair of headphones, Lens will provide helpful links to retailers where you can buy that product. The list goes on and on.

Google is constantly improving Lens with new features, just like its core product, Google Search. Below you’ll find a selection of the best Google Lens features you can use right now.

How to get Google Lens on your Android phone or tablet

For this Google Lens guide, we’ll assume you want to get the standalone Google Lens app for Android, which is the best way to experience it. To do so, click on the link below to install the app.

• Google Lens for Android on Play Store

Google Lens is also part of the main Google app, which is preinstalled on all Android phones. To access it, tap on the “camera” icon in the app’s search box. You can also open it via Google Assistant with the “open Lens” voice command.

Several Android phone makers embed Lens in their camera apps. Look for the Lens icon in the interface or overlaid on the viewfinder.

Google Lens is also built into Google Photos on Android. Just open an image in Google Photos and tap on the Lens icon at the bottom of the screen.

How to get Google Lens on your iPhone or iPad

On iOS devices, Google Lens is available via the Google app, which is available from the App Store . Note that you can’t use Lens by going to the Google search page in your browser.

Alternatively, Google Photos ( download it from the App Store ) also integrates Lens on iOS.

How to use Google Lens

Regardless of how you open it, Google Lens is easy to use. You should see a viewfinder and the camera roll with your recent pictures when you open it. Tap the viewfinder to take a new picture, or look for an older one in the camera roll.

You can also use it on screenshots and other images stored on your phone — tap on the downward arrow symbol next to Screenshots to see all folders.

When you analyze a picture with Google Lens, you’ll see a shutter button and a slider that lets you switch between the modes the app supports:

Depending on which mode you’re using, Lens will allow you to interact with the contents of the image, by copying text, opening links, saving contact information, and more.

Top things you can do with Google Lens

How to translate text from images with google lens.

Have you ever found yourself staring at an important-looking sign written in a foreign language? Google Lens to the rescue.

You can use Google Lens as a visual translator for many languages. Just point the app at some text you want to translate and wait a second. Lens will attempt to recognize the language, but you can manually select the language pair if it fails to do so automatically.

The app overlays translated text over the original image. It works best when you have a clear and unobstructed view of the text. Even when it’s not perfect, it’s usually enough to understand the gist of the text.

This incredibly useful feature has long been part of Google Translate, but having it baked into Lens makes it even more accessible.

Once you have some translated text, you can choose to copy it, send it to your computer, use it as a search term, listen to it, or transfer it to the Google Translate app.

How to copy-paste text from real life

With Google Lens, you can copy printed or even handwritten text from just about anywhere and quickly turn it into editable text you can interact with on your phone or computer.

It’s as simple as pointing your phone at the text you want to copy and tapping the shutter button. Lens will highlight any text it recognizes and allow you to select it. From there, you can copy it, use it as a search term, translate it, or send it to your computer.

Transferring text from your phone to your computer is an especially helpful Google Lens feature. Let’s say you want to copy several paragraphs from a textbook and don’t want to type it out by hand. Use Google Lens to snap a picture, then select the text you want and tap Copy to computer . You will see a list of devices where you are signed in in the Chrome browser. Select the computer you want, and the text will be added to its clipboard. Just hit Paste or Ctrl-V/Cmd-V in any text field to see it.

Open URLs from images

When Google Lens spots a URL in the image, it gives you the option to open the link. Just take the picture; in most cases, the URL will be highlighted automatically. In some cases, you may need to switch to Text mode and/or highlight the URL manually. From there, you should see a pill button with a globe icon that will take you to the respective URL.

Scan QR codes and barcodes with Google Lens

QR codes have become ubiquitous, but some phone makers still don’t include QR recognition in their camera apps . With Lens, you can just point the phone at the code you want to open and wait for the overlay with the URL of the code to pop open. Click on it and off you go.

Similarly, you can scan barcodes on products ranging from books to personal electronics. This can be especially handy when you want to identify a product or find a shopping link for it.

Search for objects with Google Lens

If you take pictures of something that Google can identify with any degree of confidence, Lens will display search results related to that thing. It’s the fallback option that you get when none of the other options (text, barcodes, shopping, etc.) apply.

If you take a picture of something very generic, like a sunset, you will be shown images that resemble your picture. In general, though, Google will always attempt to understand the contents of the image, as opposed to just returning the most visually similar images.

If you point Lens at a dog or cat, the app will look for pictures of animals that resemble your pet. In many cases, it will even tell you what breed it thinks the pet is.

If you point at a consumer product, Lens will usually do a good job of recognizing the product and returning the most relevant results for it. Scanning my Xbox controller returned links to retailers selling the same model and some news sites talking about it. Scanning barcodes or labels on the product is another good way to get precise matches.

Here’s a list of things Google Lens can recognize and offer useful info on:

• Pets and other animals
• Books, CDs, DVDs
• Other consumer products

Search for similar faces in Google Photos

In December 2022 , Google started testing new functionality within Google Photos. When viewing photos with faces, some users found that a new search button replaced the Lens button. Users could tap the search button to detect other photos that include that person’s face.

Previously tapping the Lens button would let you search for similar images online, as detailed in the previous section. However, this new functionality specifically searches for people in your own photo library. Additionally, tapping on a face of a given person will display other images of that person too.

The feature seems to remain a limited test, and there’s no clear indication that it’ll become a mainstay on Photos in the future. It’s worth giving it a whirl if you have it.

Notably, Google Photos is now very good at recognizing and tagging people from behind , even if it can’t see their faces.

Get help with your schoolwork with Google Lens

If you’re as hopeless at math as I am, you’ll appreciate Google Lens’ ability to provide help with solving equations. You can point the camera at simple formulas or school questions and tap Homework. Make sure you highlight the formula and double-check that the app has correctly picked it up (sometimes Lens misinterprets math symbols). Lens will then show a “Your math problem” message and provide links to specialized websites that offer help with solving problems, such as Tiger Algebra.

Homework help isn’t the most reliable Google Lens feature, but it can still be a valuable tool for students. The goal is to help you understand the problem rather than just solve it for you.

Search for skin conditions

In June 2023, Google rolled out new AI functionality for Lens that allowed users to photograph their skin and search for any conditions they may have. The feature, dubbed Search Your Skin, also works on other body parts, including nails, lips, and hair. While we don’t think this is a stop-gap for a doctor’s visit (you should seek medical advice if you suspect something serious), it may be useful for identifying minor issues and suggesting next steps.

Read text aloud

Folks with eyesight problems or anyone who prefers to listen rather than read text will benefit from Lens’ ability to read out text. Just take a picture of the text you want to listen to, whether it’s the screen of your computer or the blurb on the back of a book. Tap Text and then Listen. The app should start reciting the text.

Add an event to your calendar with Google Lens

When Lens recognizes a date in the image you’re scanning, it will give you the option to create a calendar event for that date. Perfect for setting reminders or creating calendar entries without manually opening the calendar app and digging for the right date.

To get this Google Lens feature, scan the date (several formats are recognized) and tap on the pill button with the date that shows up in the Text section.

Save info from a business card

Another business-oriented Google Lens feature is the ability to quickly save information from a business card. The app will recognize contact names, email addresses, and phone numbers and offer you the option to add them to your contacts app.

Call or email without typing with Google Lens

When Google Lenses recognizes a phone number or email address, you can tap on them to quickly jump to the calling or email apps. This eliminates any hassle with typing long numbers or addresses and can potentially save you some headaches caused by typos.

Navigate to an address

Google Lens recognizes addresses and displays a map thumbnail you can tap on to start navigating to that address. It also works with some zip codes/post codes.

Buy stuff with Google Lens

When Lens identifies a product, the Shopping section will display links to retailers that offer that product. The thumbnails include price tags, and there is a price filter for quickly finding the best deals. If Google is unsure which product you have, it will display the products that match it the closest. You can also try scanning labels and barcodes for more precise results.

If you use Google Search to refine your shopping experience, you can now view clothes on several models wearing various sizes. Another new feature, dubbed guided refinements, lets users recreate the feeling of a store and suggests similar items.

Identify buildings and landmarks

Tourists will surely appreciate the Google Lens feature that lets you point your phone at buildings and landmarks and get an overlay with information about them. While it doesn’t work with your average nondescript city block or office building, it’s a great tool for identifying places of interest, ranging from museums to restaurants.

Find recipes and nutritional information

Pointing Google Lens at a dish, an ingredient, or even a restaurant menu will give you information on the food. Depending on what you select, you can get food recipes, places to online order a dish, or nutritional information on a portion of food or ingredient.

How to use Google Lens in the Chrome browser

Google has integrated Lens into its Chrome browser, where it replaces the well-known “Search for image” functionality. Lens in the Chrome browser works similarly to the mobile apps, allowing you to analyze the content of pictures, as well as copy and translate text. It lacks certain features, like the ability to open links, save contact details, or solve simple equations.

You can still tap the Find image source button in Lens for Chrome to bring up the old “Search for image” interface. But if you’re one of the users who hate the integration of Lens in Google Chrome, you can go back to the previous UI by toggling a Chrome flag .

Other Google Lens tips

• Google Lens is only as good as the image it analyzes. For the best results, ensure the image is blur-free, well-lit, and centered.
• Try to get only the main subject in the shot. When you have multiple things in the shot, Lens may have trouble understanding which object you’re interested in.
• Try a few angles. Just because the first image you scan doesn’t bring up any useful results doesn’t mean Lens has failed. Other angles/shots may prove better.
• Use the image selector to crop down the part of the image you want to analyze.
• Try switching between modes, e.g., between “Text” and “Search.” The app won’t always know which mode is more relevant to you.
• Select the text by scrolling over it. Depending on the type of text, you’ll need to select it to see all the things you can do with it.
• Try Lens on older pictures. You can use the app on any picture, regardless of when it was taken or by whom. If you find an interesting image online, you can download it on your phone and use Lens to learn more about its contents.
• Ditch those dedicated apps. If you have limited storage, consider uninstalling any standalone apps that Lens can replace. Examples include text recognition (OCR) apps, plant identifiers, animal identifiers, QR and barcode readers, business card digitizing apps, and more.

Google Lens FAQs

Google Lens is an extension of Google’s search service. If you trust Google with your search queries, not to mention email, location data, and much more, you shouldn’t have any problems with Lens either.

Google Lens is available as a standalone app for Android, is baked into the Google apps for Android and iOS, and is part of Google Photos, as well as some camera apps.

There is no dedicated Google Lens app for iPhone, but you can still use Lens if you download the Google app for iOS, and via Google Photos.

Google Lens is built into the Chrome browser for Windows and Mac. Right-click the image you want to scan and select “Search image with Google Lens. Additionally, Google Photos on the web supports text recognition powered by Google Lens.”

Yes, you can disable Lens from showing up in Chrome. Check out the instructions to do so here .

Google Lens is built into several Google apps and some camera apps. It’s likely been on your device out of the box, just like other key Google apps.

Yes. You can use Google Lens on any image, either by finding it in the app or through Google Photos.

Google Lens does understand handwriting, even cursive, so you can use it to convert handwritten notes into digital text. However, it’s not as precise as scanning typed text and may not work at all for poor handwriting/scribbles.

Google Lens does not work for recognizing people in images.

Google Lens is a tool that uses a phone’s camera to bring up helpful information for anything the user points it at. On the other hand, reverse image search lets a user look for images that are similar to an image they submit to Google – exactly like a normal Google search, but using an image rather than words.

18 Tips and Tricks to Use Google Lens like a Pro

When Google Lens started, it could identify flowers, animals, plants, things, and some other things with reasonable accuracy when you pointed your camera at it. It is used to search for anything in the world around you to quickly find more info on it. But since then, Google has added a long list of features to the Google Lens. Instead of just searching for information about the objects around you, here’s everything you can do with the help of Google Lens on smartphones and also on desktops.

How to Use Google Lens Like a Pro

Let’s start with something small but meaningful. But before moving on, download Google Lens for Android and iOS .

1. Scan Barcodes and QR Codes

These days, native camera apps from iPhone and Samsung have barcode scanners built-in. But that’s not the case with all Android phones. Instead of downloading some QR scanner app, you can use Google Lens app to quickly scan any barcode or QR Code.

You don’t have to switch to any special mode on the Lens app either. Just open Google Lens and point your camera at the barcode to scan it automatically.

2. Copy Text from the Real World

You can use Google Lens to quickly copy text from anywhere. You just have to open the Google Lens app and change the mode of the lens to text. Now when you point your camera at any text, you will be able to select the text like you do on a webpage. Once selected, tap on the copy Text option to copy the selected text.

In fact, not just in the world around but you can even select any image on your phone to copy text directly from it.

3. Translate any Text in Real-Time

Another major feature of Google Lens is translation. When you find any book, signboard, or text anywhere in a language that you are not familiar with, use Google Lens to quickly translate the text. The best part is that you don’t even have to know the language you are looking for. The lens can auto-identify the language and translate it into a language that you would understand.

Open the Google Lens app and select the Translate mode at the bottom. Now point the camera at the text that you need to translate. Google Lens will auto-detect the text’s language and convert it into the language that you know. Anyhow, you can manually change both from and to languages on the lens itself. Similarly, you can also translate text in an image. If you select and tap on the copy option now, you will be able to copy the translated text.

4. Listen to Papers and Books

Apart from copying and translating text, you can instead try listening to it. You can use this feature in many situations. For example, instead of reading a book, you can just scan the book’s page and choose to listen to it. In fact, you can choose the translate option and then listen to the translated text if you want to.

Open the Google Lens app, select the text mode, and scan any text with it. Once scanned, you can select the Listen option to listen to text in the frame. Similarly, you can also select the translate option and select the Listen option to listen to the translated text.

5. Send Text to Desktop

Instead of copying the text, you can actually send the text that you have scanned to the desktop. If you are typing on the desktop and quickly want to add a quote that you read in a book, the easiest and fastest way is to simply scan the text and select the option Copy to computer . It will list all computers that you are logged in with your Google Chrome browser. You can just paste it by pressing Ctrl+V or by selecting the Paste option in the right-click menu.

You can only do that if you have Google Chrome installed on your computer and logged in with your Google account.

6. Save Calendar Events

You can scan anything with a date and time involved like an invitation card. When you select a text with date and time, Google Lens will directly give you an option to add a calendar event. When you tap on it, you will be redirected to Google calendar where you just enter the event name and save it.

Lens can easily understand the date and time written in different formats from April 12th, 2022 to 12.4.22.

7. Save Contacts from Business Cards

Saving contacts is even more seamless than saving a calendar event as Google Lens can pick up all the contact details like name, number, email id, location, etc., and fill it up instantly. Also, you don’t have to select any text here. As soon as the Lens identifies it as a business card, it suggests adding the contact with a small white dot on the name of the contact. Taping on it will provide a one-click option to save the contact.

All the details will be added to your default Contacts app.

8. Call/Email Any Contact

Whenever you see a billboard or banner and want to call the number, look no further. Google Lens has got you covered. Instead of entering the phone number manually in the phone app, open Google Lens and scan the billboard or anywhere you see a phone number. Then tap on the phone number on the scanned image to get an option to call the number.

Tapping on it will open the Phone app with the number already entered. You can do the same with the email. Just scan and select their email id to start sending them an email.

9. Complete Homework

Google Lens has a dedicated homework mode for solving math problems. You just have to point your camera lens towards a math equation. Google Lens will scan the question and display the results. You can take a look at the overview or even ask for steps to solve the problem. This feature is a bit of a hit or miss for some questions and only works with math as of now even though it says homework.

10. Shop Anything You See

Google Lens also has a shopping option which you can select and point the camera on anything. The lens will scan it and provide you with links to buy that item. If you do not know the name of the item, you can buy the same product with the same or a similar design. It works with almost everything from clothes, home decor, electronics, spare parts, kitchen utensils, and even tools.

11. Multi-Search

Multi-search expands the features of Google Lens to a whole new level. It allows you to search with both images and text at the same time. For example, you can scan any electronic product and add the text How to use it to refine the text, scan an orange dress and add the text green to find the same dress in green color, and so on.

With multi-search, instead of just scanning and viewing results, you can add text queries to refine search results better.

12. Use Lens on Google Photos

Lens is integrated into the Google Photos app, so you don’t have to download the image, and open it with Google Lens to scan it. When viewing photos in Google photos, you will get a lens icon at the bottom. Tap on it to instantly start scanning with Google Lens. Once scanning begins, you can change the Lens mode from search to text, translate, do homework, or shopping.

13. Use Lens on Google Search

While all the previous methods only work on mobile apps, you can actually use the Google Lens on the desktop too.

To access, search anything on Google, hop on to the images section and open any image. Here you should find the Lens icon on the image at the top right. Clicking on it will perform a Google Lens search instead of a normal Google Image search. Anyhow, many features like shopping, text, etc. do not work on the desktop yet.

14. Use Lens on Google Chrome

The above method only works on the Google Images page. But if you are using Google Chrome browser on your desktop, you can use Google Lens on any image. Just right-click on the image and select the Search with Google Lens option. It will launch Google Lens in the right sidebar.

The browser-integrated Lens is a bit more feature-packed than Google Search integrated one as you can copy and translate text as well.

On the smartphone, long-press and select the Search with Google Lens option. This will directly open the image in the Google Lens app, so you get every feature that Google Lens supports.

15. Find Best Dishes on Restaurant’s Menu

When you are in a restaurant, open Google Lens and change it to Dining mode. Now when you scan their menu, Lens will highlight the best dishes they serve. Google aggregates this info from the reviews people have left on that restaurant.

16. Find NearBy Restaurants

Also, when you are in dining mode, you can scan any dish directly or from a photo. Then add Nearby in the multi-search. This will help you find a restaurant nearby that is selling a similar dish.

17. Ctrl+F the World Around You

Scene exploration is a new feature introduced recently. Instead of showing one item and asking questions about it, with this feature, you can ask any query by showing scans of multiple objects and Google Lens will highlight results according to your needs.

For example, when you are in a shopping mall and ask Google Lens to show nut-free chocolates by scanning all the chocolates in a row, Lens will scan and display results for which chocolate to choose.

18. Use Google Lens Mode From Camera App

Finally, Lens is now integrated into many other third-party camera apps from OEMs like OnePlus and MIUI. All you have to do is change the mode to Google Lens mode. Anyhow, it can search, text, translate, scan QR codes, etc, but you cannot change the mode manually and some features like shopping, homework, etc. also do not work.

Looking Through The Google Lens

Google Lens enables a new visual style of searching online. With that, it provides many features like copy-paste text, translation, saving contacts, etc. along with the ability to search anything online without even knowing its name. Using Google Lens with Google Search and Google Assistant will give you the option to search in new and interesting ways. Along with Google Lens tricks, you should also check some Google Assistant tricks .

Ravi Teja KNTS

Tech Enthusiast & Cinephile by Nature | Writing about technology for 3+ years on TechWiser| Currently interested in AI, PWAs, Cloud, Ecosystems & Esthetics. But I keep changing my mind faster than Google's Messaging apps.

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Google Lens: how to use Google's super-useful AI camera app

Google Lens has a ton of useful tricks – here's how to use them

How to get Google Lens on Android

How to get google lens on iphone, the 11 best ways to use google lens, 1. scan barcodes, 2. check restaurant reviews as you walk, 3. learn about that restaurant dish, 4. check prices, 5. search photos you've already taken, 6. live translate text, 7. get help with your maths homework, 8. read out articles, 9. copy text or notes to your laptop, 10. learn about works of art, 11. identify plants and animals.

Google Lens is what you get when you feed the giant mountains of data from other Google services into a camera app. 

Point your phone at a product and Google Lens will find out what it is, and how much it costs online. Show it a landmark and Lens will identify it using the vast Google Images library and tie it to handy info like opening hours. 

If there’s text, Google Lens will use optical character recognition to identify it, and let you use it as a search term without typing it in yourself.

It's been around since 2017, but rather than get quietly sidelined like so many other Google projects, Google Lens has slowly built up increasingly impressive powers – many of which aren't that well known or understood.

So we've rounded up some of our favorite Google Lens tricks here to show you how it can save you time and bother, or instantly search for things that you come across in the real world. But first, here's how to find it on Android and iPhone.

If you have a recent Android phone, a Lens mode may well already be built into the camera app. 

Look for the Google Lens icon (below), which is a couple of circles hemmed in by three sides of a square.

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Nothing there? Just download the Google Lens app from the Play Store .

Using the Google Lens app is much like using a camera app. There’s a shutter button at one end, marked with search icon, because you don’t actually end up taking photos with Lens. 

Instead, the phone effectively freeze-frames the view, giving Google Lens a scene to analyze so you don’t have to keep the camera pointed at the right spot while Lens does its thing.

The Google Lens experience is slightly different for iPhone users. Rather than having a standalone app or being integrated into the camera, Lens is instead built into the official Google app – which you can download for free from the App Store.

From here, it's simply a case of tapping that Google Lens icon in the search bar (to the left of the microphone), which you can see circled in red below.

This will open up the camera viewfinder, which gives you access to translate, shopping, text search and food search options – essentially, almost anything you point it at, Lens will be able to search for.

There is another way to use Google Lens on iPhone – if you an open a photo in the Google Photos app, you'll see the Lens icon on the bottom row of icons (second from the right). This lets you search for info on the objects or subjects in your Photos library – for example, a particularly tasty bottle of wine you logged for future reference.

Using Google Lens: the basics

When you hit the search button in Google Lens (on Android or iPhone), you’ll see blue dots in the image highlighting points of interest, and any recognized text will be covered by translucent block of white. 

Tap on these and Google Lens will bring up the relevant results. The app also lets you pick a category to pare down the kind of results you’ll see.

These vary between platform, but on Android you’ll see options like Dining, Places, Shopping, Homework, Search, Text and Translate. It's the same on iPhone, only without the Homework option, which is a highly impressive shortcut to solving maths questions.

Here are 11 of the top things you can actually do with Google Lens right now.

Google Lens has no problem with barcodes. After all, it’s effectively just a way to encode a number that identifies a product. 

It’s a dead easy way to look up stuff online without taking a picture of its front, or its name. That works sometimes, but there’s a consistency to the barcode approach we kind of like.

To scan a barcode, just point the Google Lens camera at a barcode (on iPhone, it's best to choose the 'Shopping' tab at the bottom), wait for it to mark the code with a blue dot and, if needed, hit the shutter. It'll then bring up the product name and link you to some online stores to buy it from. Handy.

Google Lens takes your location into account when harvesting results. Flick to the Places tab in the app, hold it up in front of a restaurant or shop front and the app will, in most cases, bring up its Google profile.

From here you can see how it’s rated according to Google’s reviews, and you can get a link to the place’s website – if it’s a restaurant you'll likely get to see the menu, too.

Of course, the building doesn't have to be a restaurant – you can also use Google Lens as a virtual tour guide, learning about local landmarks and getting spoon-fed handy information on their opening hours, historical facts and more.

Ever find yourself wondering what something on a menu actually is, but can't quite manage to get the attention of a busy waiter or waitress? Google Lens is perfect for this.

Just tap on a scanned menu and Lens will show you both a description of the dish, and even recipes for it. This is handy if you want to know what likely goes into the restaurant’s own version, of if you fancy learning how to make it yourself at home.

Even better for the indecisive, Lens will also sometimes highlight the restaurant's most popular dishes for you, allowing you to dig down further into reviews and real-world photos taken from Google Maps .

We love a bargain, and Google Lens offers a great way to check if a shop’s sale prices are actually a good deal. Take an image of a product in the app’s Shopping tab and online shopping deals will be prioritized in the search results.

Try taking a shot of the item itself if that’s the sort of image used on the product page, and has unique identifiers, such as its name. Otherwise you might want to try shooting the box or its label. 

Google Lens may be smart, but it’s unlikely to be able to recognise, for example, a particular pair of jeans. In that case, scanning the tag would be the better option for more accurate results.

You don’t have to use the built-in camera with Google Lens – images from your gallery work just fine, too, and that means it works for something someone sent you over, say, WhatsApp .

On both Android and iPhone, press the little mountain icon by the shutter button to open up your photo gallery in the Google Lens app.

This is super-useful for images with text in them, as Google Lens will attempt to detect all text in the picture, which can then be searched and translated into different languages. Handy if you're abroad and trying to pick up the language on the fly – or just simply finding out the name of a place you visited.

Translation is one of the most useful features of Google Lens. More than 100 languages are supported, because it feeds into Google’s longstanding Translate service.

Translating text it recognizes is neat, but Google Lens goes further. The translated text is mapped onto the image in augmented reality fashion. This is particularly handy for menus and signs, we find. But you can also use it for things like train tickets, like the below.

Of course, restaurant menus aren't where this feature's use begins and ends. We've all felt a little lost or overwhelmed when in a foreign country. In this case, Google Lens can help you out in a pinch, say, if you need directions, or to figure out the specialty of a store you're interested in checking out.

Like this feature? Give the standalone Google Translate app a try too. It performs translations in real time, again in augmented reality, handy if you’re away from home and can’t read the local language.

The homework tab of Google Lens (which is currently Android-only) sounds like a way to cheat on your math homework, but it’s actually a lot smarter than that – and there’s more educational insight on offer here than you might think.

Sure, if you take a snap of a simple math calculation the links shown will include Google’s calculator and the solution, if it applies. But Google’s also offers 'Key Concept' information for algebraic equations, which tell you the basics of what’s going on in the problem posed.

Maths is a tricky subject to learn at the best of times, so with Google Lens being able to offer insight into how more advanced mathematical concepts work, we can imagine it being a handy helper for revision and preparing for exams.

Google Lens also makes great use of Google’s voice synthesis software. Using the Text tab, you can scan an article, a postcard or the back of a cereal packet, for example, and get Lens to read it out.

A Listen button will appear in the results whenever you scan text. We find this to be a great accessibility option and could be a huge boon for users with dyslexia, or even those looking to learn pronunciations of foreign words.

That's right, the Listen feature also works with non-English text. We tried highlighting both French and German text from images we'd taken, and in both cases, the phrases were audibly pronounced with appropriate local voices.

One feature of Google Lens is a pretty obvious application of the tech. You can copy scanned text to your phone’s clipboard, because of course you can – but the app goes one step further than that.

Google Lens also lets you copy that text to your PC or laptop. You just need to have the Chrome browser installed, and be logged into the same Google account you’re using on your phone. There’s a 'Copy to Computer' button for this feature, and it puts the text into your laptop/desktop’s clipboard.

This can be a handy shortcut if, for example, you find a section of text on your phone you'd like to refer to later, perhaps for an essay or research. That text can then be transferred over to your PC or laptop for future use.

Impressively, Google Lens can now also copy handwritten notes from your phone to your computer, as long as your handwriting is relatively neat. Just point the Lens camera at the notes, highlight it and hit 'copy' – you should then be able to go a doc in your Chrome browser and paste the text.

While the Google app can be used to identify songs, Google Lens is particularly good for identifying visual works like paintings and digital artwork.

This is a pretty simple, but handy, application of Google’s Image Search. You can just use the default 'search' tab for this one on Android and iPhone.

From there, you can search for similar images, the same image at different sizes, study the origins of the picture and, if it's a digital piece of artwork, discover who drew it and find links to their websites and social media pages.

The same Google Image search smarts can also be used to identify dogs, cats and types of plant. Once again it feeds into content Google already has in place. 

For example, when you search for 'Jack Russell Terrier' on Google, there’s a ready-made profile of the dog breed. It includes details like their life expectancy, average height and weight, and the common personality traits of the breed. By recognizing a kind of dog, cat or plant in an image, Lens can simply pull this stuff up instantly.

We also used Google Lens to identify a eucalyptus plant, and were able to learn all about it when the picture we snapped took us to the relevant Google search results. Doing research on plants that might look nice around the house? This Google Lens feature is your best bet, with surprisingly accurate results.

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Andrew is a freelance journalist and has been writing and editing for some of the UK's top tech and lifestyle publications including TrustedReviews, Stuff, T3, TechRadar, Lifehacker and others.

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Google Lens

Google lens simplifies and consolidates into three filters.

Google has simplified Lens so that users only have to decide between three filters when performing a visual search.

Previously, Google Lens offered a carousel of six filters — Translate, Text, Search, Homework, Shopping, and Dining — that didn’t fit into the same screen and required scrolling.

Google recently updated Lens, so you just have Translate, Search, and Homework. The company tells 9to5Google that the goal is to let you “more easily find what you’re looking for right when you come to Lens, without needing to switch over to a specialized filter.”

No functionality has been lost in Lens, going from six to three filters. Instead, Google merged many of the “specialized” filters into the default Search tab. Following research, Google found that users prefer having one filter for everything rather than needing to manually decide and switch. 

For example, you can still copy/OCR text by selecting and using the toolbar, though the experience for it is slightly less dedicated.

Meanwhile, Shopping results are surfaced in the main Search mode as well. Google picking to highlight Homework capabilities reflects recent addition to Lens , while visual Translate is an obvious and popular feature.

With this change, which is rolled out on Android and iOS, Google has added icons to each of the three Lens filters, while an “Add to your search” text field appears below the viewfinder to refine your query. A blue accent that matches the rest of Search is also now leveraged.

More on Google Lens:

• Google Search can now help with trigonometry, calculus, & geometry
• Google Assistant rolling out Lens-powered ‘Search screen’ that reliably appears
• Google Lens viewfinder gets a light theme

Dylan Roussel contributed to this article .

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news:

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: [email protected]

Google Lens adds a homework mode to help kids solve math problems

Google Lens has added a new Education mode to help kids solve their homework problems. It's aimed at looking up solutions to simple math questions.

Going back to school has taken on a new meaning thanks to this year's global COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of attending school, many students around the globe will take their education virtual. To help, Google is introducing new tools to help students at home, including a new Education mode in Google Lens.

According to Google, when students encounter a particularly difficult math equation, they can use Google Lens to help. Simply take a photo of an equation using Lens, and the Google-owned service Socratic will provide students with helpful results.

In some instances, Socratic and Google Lens will display step-by-step guides to solve the problem, along with detailed explainers to better understand key concepts. We first discovered an education mode was coming to Lens, and it's arriving just in time for the new school year. The previously discovered "Places" mode also started rolling out recently, letting you scan images to detect famous landmarks and buildings.

The new Education and Places modes in Lens are rolling out via a server-side update. Lens is a service within the Google App, so you should download the latest version of that app from the Google Play Store to ensure you'll have access to these new modes. In order to access Lens, you can either tap the button after calling up the Google Assistant, or you can download the Lens app from below which simply acts as a shortcut to Lens within the Google App.

In addition, Google announced that students can now visualize nearly 100 STEM concepts across topics including biology, chemistry, and more. If students search for “Quantum mechanical model,” for example,” they can view a 3D atom up close and in augmented reality. The upcoming school year will be very different for many educators and students. Google’s new tools aim to make the situation a little easier.

Pocket-lint

What is google lens and what can it do.

Everything you need to know about the Google Lens app, including what it can do and how to use it.

Google Lens is an AI-powered technology that uses your smartphone camera and deep machine learning to not only detect an object in front of the camera lens, but understand it and offer actions such as scanning, translation, shopping, and more.

Lens was one of Google's biggest announcements in 2017, and a Google Pixel exclusive feature when that phone launched. Since then, Google Lens has come to the majority of Android devices - if you don't have it, then the app is available to download on Google Play .

What is Google Lens?

Google Lens enables you to point your phone at something, such as a specific flower, and then ask Google what the object is that you're pointing the camera at. You'll not only be told the answer, but you'll get suggestions based on the object, like nearby florists, in the case of a flower.

Other examples of what Google Lens can do include being able to take a picture of the SSID sticker on the back of a Wi-Fi router, after which your phone will automatically connect to the Wi-Fi network without you needing to do anything else. Yep, no more crawling under the cupboard in order to read out the password whilst typing it in your phone. Now, with Google Lens, you can literally point and shoot.

Google Lens will recognise restaurants, clubs, cafes, and bars, too, presenting you with a pop-up window showing reviews, address details and opening times. It's the ability to recognise everyday objects that's impressive. It will recognise a hand and suggest the thumbs up emoji, which is a bit of fun, but point it at a drink, and it will try and figure out what it is.

We tested this functionality with a glass of white wine. It didn't suggest white wine to us, but it did suggest a whole range of other alcoholic drinks, letting you then tap through to see what they are, how to make them, and so on. That shows that, while Lens is fast and clever, it's not always accurate.

We've also tested it with many garden plants and found it a really useful way of finding out what you have growing.

What can Google Lens do?

Aside from the scenarios described above, Google Lens offers the following features:

• QR code reading: Lens can read QR codes and give you corresponding links.
• Translate: You can point your phone at text and, with Google Translate plugging in, live translate text in front of your very eyes. This can also work offline.
• Smart Text Selection : You can point your phone's camera at text, then highlight that text within Google Lens, and copy it to use on your phone. So, for instance, imagine pointing your phone at a Wi-Fi password and being able to copy/paste it into a Wi-Fi login screen.
• Smart Text search : When you highlight text in Google Lens, you can also search that text with Google. This is handy if you need to look up a definition of word, for instance.
• Shopping : If you see a dress you like while shopping, Google Lens can identify that piece and similar articles of clothing. This works for just about any item you can think of, accessing shopping or reviews.
• Google homework questions : That's right, you can just scan the question and see what Google comes up with.
• Search around you : If you point your camera around you, Google Lens will detect and identify your surroundings. That might be details on a landmark or details about types of food - including recipes.

How does Google Lens work?

Google lens app.

Google has a standalone app on Android for Google Lens if you want to get straight into the features. You can access Google Lens through a whole range of other methods, as detailed below.

The experience is similar whichever approach you take; tapping the Lens icon in Google search bar takes you through to the same view you get directly in the Lens app.

Google Photos

Within Google Photos, Google Lens can identify buildings or landmarks, for instance, presenting users with directions and opening hours for them. It will also be able to present information on a famous work of art. Maybe it will solve the debate of whether the Mona Lisa is smiling or not.

When browsing your pictures in Google Photos, you'll see the Google Lens icon in the bottom of the window. Tapping on the icon will see the scanning dots appearing on you picture and then Google will serve up suggestions.

In some Android phones Google Lens has been directly added to the device's own camera app. It might be in the 'More' section, but will differ depending on manufacturer and user interface. Some apps will use Google Lens to scan things like QR codes directly through the camera.

On the iPhone

If you want to access Google Lens on the iPhone you can get it via the Google app . This app covers a range of Google services which are native on Android devices. Once you've installed the app, you can head to the Google Lens section, grant permission for it to access your iPhone camera and off you go - you'll get all the features above.

Which devices offer Google Lens?

If you're an Android device user, you can access the app. However, there are some exceptions, such as the banned-from-Google-Services phones such as those from Huawei - so it's worth checking on Google Play to see if you can get it. It's also available on iPhone or iPad as detailed above.

Google Lens is also baked into other Google apps, like Chrome. Although it might not be immediately obvious, if you're using Chrome and you right click on an image to find out where it came from , the sidebar that opens is also Google Lens branded - so there are ways to use it outside mobile devices too.

When parents become teachers: tools to help students at home

Aug 11, 2020

[[read-time]] min read

50 new features in Meet, Classroom, G Suite and other products for students, parents and teachers.

Editor’s note: On August 11, 2020 Google for Education kicked off a global back-to-school event, The Anywhere School. Check out the  full recap of product launches  and  our collection of announcements .

For me, life at home now means an office in my garage and three children at home attempting to learn. I’m still adjusting to my children making appearances on my Google Meet meetings, trying to schedule more walking meetings to squeeze in some exercise, and creating a schedule that my children will only loosely follow. Luckily, nobody knows about the chaos that ensues behind the scenes thanks to Google Meet’s noise cancellation feature !

With these changes, you may realize that you need a crash course in algebra or Shakespeare, and one on the digital tools your kids are using. The resources below, along with  our Tech Toolkit for Families and Guardians , including a video series , can answer your questions about helping kids with lessons and homework, new products and features to help with staying in touch with teachers, and safeguarding kids when they’re online. 

How to help kids with homework and learning from home

When a student turns to Google Search for help with STEM homework this fall, Search will connect them to potential explanations, a step-by-step breakdown for complex math equations and detailed information on the underlying concepts, like the notorious pythagorean theorem . These features help improve comprehension and understanding of core topics. 

Visualizing STEM concepts can be hard without labs or hands-on learning tools. Now, students can see 3D content on Search for nearly 100 STEM concepts across biology, chemistry and more using compatible Android and iOS devices. If students search for “Quantum mechanical model,” they can view a 3D atom up close and use augmented reality (AR) to bring it into their space. Check out how to use 3D for STEM concepts. 

3D Quantum mechanical model on Search from our partner Signal Garden.

When they’re stuck on a homework problem, students and parents can use Socratic and soon can use  Google Lens to take a photo of a problem or equation they need help with. Socratic and Lens provide quick access to helpful results, such as step-by-step guides to solve the problem and detailed explainers to help you better understand key concepts.

Use Google Lens to look up homework questions and get help

Read Along helps kids develop a love of reading. Diya, the in-app reading buddy, uses Google’s text-to-speech and speech recognition technology, to offer assistance for children when they struggle, and reward them with stars when they do well. 

Use Read Along to help kids learn to read with the sound of their voice

When using Google Meet, turn on live captions to see English text. When you can’t meet teachers in person due to social distancing, you can meet them using video calls. If you're new to Meet, we’ve created a Guardian’s Guide that explains why schools choose Meet, and how you can use it at home. Teachers can also send you guardian summaries in Google Classroom to help you stay connected with your child’s work and overall progress.

And for a little help keeping your family on track with virtual learning, try using Family Bell on your smart speakers and smart displays. You can add bell reminders throughout the day that announce when it's time to start an online class, take a break, or settle in for reading time. To get started, simply say “Hey Google, create a Family Bell” or tap on Family Bell in your Assistant settings. Read on for more ways Google can help keep your family on track during the school year. 

How to help kids stay safe online

Family Link helps parents and guardians keep an eye on kids while they’re online. You can approve apps and extensions, set time limits, and use content filters to set boundaries for kids. And now, you can add a school account for a Family Link user so you can set ground rules for your child while they do their schoolwork in Google Classroom, Docs, and other websites where you sign in with Google. 

With kids spending so much time online for school and virtual playdates, it’s important to talk to them about internet safety. From password security to phishing to behavior on social media, there’s a lot to talk about. Be Internet Awesome helps kids be positive digital citizens and stay safe online. It provides free family guides , tips from teachers, and Interland, a really fun game for kids to learn about online safety.

How to learn more about digital learning tools

If your child uses a Chromebook, learn how to set it up on home Wi-Fi,  set controls like blocking access to harmful websites, and get more information on the Chromebook Help support pages. And make sure to check out the Tech Toolkit for Families and Guardians , which has a quick video series on our products and features, best practices for family engagement, and answers to the most frequently-asked technical questions. Guardian Guides offer easy-to-understand overviews of common school tools like Google Classroom, Chromebooks, and G Suite for Education. For more resources, check out Teach from Anywhere .

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What is Google Lens: How it Works and Should You Use It?

Published: January 21, 2021

Modified: October 11, 2023

• Augmented Reality

Google Lens is a visual search engine which has the capabilities to search information with the use of images. With the use of Google Assistant, users can merely point their phone’s cameras at an object and it will bring up relevant information regarding the object identified.

Additionally, with the use of artificial intelligence (AI), this Google app offers a wide range of features for its users. These features include scanning and translating text, identifying plants and animals, and even suggesting establishments. Read on to find out more about Google Lens and how it can help you with your day-to-day activities.

What is Google Lens 

First announced in 2017 during Google’s annual I/O developer conference, Google Lens lets users look up information by analyzing visuals. Released in the same year, this visual search tool enables people to use their camera to look up information. Additionally, other related content based on the image is also available.

Have you ever spotted an interesting flower when strolling along a park but don’t recognize it? Well, with the use of this Google app, you can simply direct your smartphone’s camera and get all the information that you need. You’ll even get suggestions of flower shops nearby as well.

Have you ever had trouble translating signages when in a foreign country? Google Lens can easily help you find your way. With the help of the Google Translate app, you can take a snapshot of the signage and translate it immediately.

But how does this actually work?

How Does Google Lens Work 

Lens provides contextual information to users by comparing objects in their images to others found in Google’s database. It then ranks the photos based on similarity and relevance to the one captured by a user. Besides imagery, it also uses an image’s metadata such as words and language to determine the probable search results.

This image recognition technology narrows these results down to provide relevant information. For example, if a user directs their camera at a dress, the app will present results with the item’s information. This information could include the brand details, product reviews, and even shops that sell similar items. Additionally, this feature also works with home decorations as well.

Moreover, Lens also has a smart text selection and search feature. Users can highlight and copy text by directing their phone’s camera at a document or sign. This comes in handy when visiting an establishment — say a hotel or restaurant. Instead of manually typing in the Wi-Fi password, Google Lens can extract the text from the signage or document. Now, users can just copy and paste it directly into a Wi-Fi’s password field. 

Meanwhile, when users grant the app access to their device’s location, this allows for more accurate search results. If you’re in Egypt, Google Lens will narrow down search results to the Egyptian Pyramids as the one you are most likely looking at. It will show you such rather than other similar-looking structures found elsewhere in the world.

Google states that advertisement models do not affect the algorithm used by the application. Thus, this results in more significant and useful search results for the user. 

What is Google Lens Used For 

As mentioned above, Google Lens offers several features that can aid users in their daily lives. Here are the key features of the app that you can utilize to make life a little bit easier.

Smart Translation and Text

We’ve already mentioned Google Lens’ built-in translation feature that allows users to translate text in real-time. However, with Lens, you can also look up a word’s definition and call a person’s phone number. These can be done without needing to type the text manually into your phone. Additionally, users can highlight words and numbers with this Google app then copy and paste it into their phone.

Moreover, Google Lens is a useful tool for students who frequently have to type their handwritten lectures onto their devices. In 2020, Google added a feature that can recognize a person’s handwriting. This means that users can now copy and paste not only printed text, but handwritten notes as well. Students can now direct their camera at any handwritten lecture notes and tap on their screen to select the words. From here they can now paste the selected text on their smartphone’s note app. Additionally, students can also directly copy and paste it to their computer by syncing their Google accounts. Once they select the “copy to computer” option, the app will send the selected text to a document on Google Docs.

However, the accuracy of this feature relies heavily on how neat and clear a person’s penmanship is. Thus, this means that if you don’t have the best handwriting, Lens may not be able to recognize the words precisely. 

Visual Searches

The Google Lens search feature is a great way to identify your surroundings. Although, it’s not just for naming a breed of dog or type of plant you randomly cross paths with. It can also elevate your shopping and dining experience.

• Shopping – Google Lens can pull up similar items based on an image provided by a user. Results also include style ideas from around the web. Moreover, with the help of Google Shopping, users can find stores that sell the product or similar alternatives. Additionally, users can track the price of an item and even compare prices between various merchants.
• Dining – Ever found yourself at a new restaurant and wasn’t sure on what to order? Google Lens can make deciding what to eat less challenging. Just point your camera at the restaurant’s menu and you’ll be able to look up reviews and photos of dishes.

Learn More About Places

Exploring a new city or just want to learn more about local establishments around you? With the help of Lens, you can now learn more about popular landmarks and buildings by simply taking a snapshot. It provides not only the name of the place but also historical facts, reviews, rating, and even operating hours.

Math Problems Solved

Introduced in 2020, Lens’ Homework feature is Google’s new digital learning tool that helps both parents and children. With the use of this feature, you can easily access helpful results to problems or equations by scanning them with the use of the app. Users can get guides on how to solve problems and more detailed explainers to better understand the subject. The Google Lens Homework feature isn’t only limited to math problems, though. Step-by-step breakdowns and answers are also available for science and history problems, as well. 

Facial Recognition 

Besides the billions of objects that Google Lens can recognize, it can also detect faces of people. However, this is limited to celebrities and prominent figures. Nevertheless, it’s still a fun and useful feature to experiment with. This is especially when you come across a photo or video of a personality you can’t remember the name of.

However, Google does have face detection and clustering features on two of their products. The Google Photos app allows its users to label images containing people in them. This makes looking up memories with your friends and family easier. Users can simply type in the name or nickname that they’ve labeled a person on the app’s search bar. Additionally, Google’s Nest Hub Max smart display can determine which household member is currently using it. Once you’ve set up your Google facial recognition profile, the Google Nest Hub Max will display personalized content.

Although, with all great inventions come concerning aspects. With that said, facial recognition features on apps and devices bring with them issues of privacy and even racial biases. Several studies have found that the majority of facial recognition algorithms showcase different accuracy levels depending on various groups of ethnicity.

Notably, the National Institute of Standards and Technology released a paper on how different facial analysis systems exhibit both false negative and positives results. This means that depending on your demographic, facial recognition technology can either reject or accept a facial match.

How To Use Google Lens

Google Lens is a standalone app available on Android devices. However, it is also integrated with other Google applications such as the Google app itself, Google Photos , and Google Assistant . Some Android phones such as the Google Pixel even have Lens fused into its camera app. 

For users with iOS devices, the Google Lens app is not available for download and installment. However, you can still use it via Google’s photo and search engine app . Moreover, Google Lens for iPhone devices does not have a camera app integration feature. Neither is it possible for Google Lens iOS users to use it with the Google Assistant app .

Here are a few methods on how to enable Google Lens.

Google Lens App

Before you learn how to access Google Lens, you’ll first need to download and install the application. For Android users, simply head over the Google Play Store , then download and launch the app.

Afterwards you can now access all the app’s features mentioned above. The smart scan text feature is especially helpful for those who need to add a person’s business card details to their phone’s contact book. Meanwhile, for those with packed schedules, you can now easily add events to your work calendar with the use of Google Lens. Looking up products is also easier with the use of this Google app. Users can now scan a product’s barcode to look up info about it, as well as shops selling it.

Another interesting feature of Google Lens is how it can recognize paintings and their artists. Have you ever found yourself captivated by a painting or sculpture in a museum before? Ever wanted to learn more about it besides from the given description? Worry not – by simply holding up your Google Lens camera, you can now learn more about the painting itself and the artist.

Google Assistant

For Android devices, users can open Google Assistant by long pressing the home button. Once activated, you can click on the Lens icon found at the bottom part of the screen. From here, you can now point your camera to an object, plant, or animal and learn more about them. Additionally, you can also interact with your Google Assistant app for further information. You can tap on the microphone button to ask more questions or create a command for your Google Assistant.

Google Photos

Users can also access Lens within the Google Photos app. The integrated Google Lens app allows users to search for information about a preexisting photo. In order to do so, simply open the app, choose a photo, and tap on the Lens icon. Similarly to Google Assistant, the Lens icon is located at the lower part of the screen. Results will of course vary, depending on the image selected. For items such as clothing apparel and home decor, search results will offer similar products and where to buy them. Meanwhile, if you select a photograph of your favorite book cover, you will get a summary and reviews of said book.

Moreover, Google Lens can also recognize faces of famous celebrities. As an example, selecting an image of Gal Gadot will produce search results about her personal life, career, and filmography.

Apple users can access the Google Lens iPhone feature via the Google app itself. In order to do so, they must first download and install the app from Apple’s App Store . After launching the application, it will prompt you to sign-in using your Google account. It will also ask for permission to access your device’s photo gallery. Once you’ve set everything up, you will immediately notice the Google Lens icon found at the app’s home screen. Tap on it and you can either upload a photo from your gallery or direct your camera at an object. Afterwards, you are now free to access all Google Lens features available and get all details that Google provides.

Google Lens for Android devices have the feature integrated within their native camera. These include the likes of Google Pixel Phones, and it also has a system requirement of Android Marshmallow or higher. Accessing Lens within your Android phone’s camera will depend on which model you own. However, it’s most likely accessible by clicking on ‘More,’ and then tapping on the Google Lens icon.

In the event you don’t see a Google Lens option, this means your device does not support the app and camera integration. Google has yet to release the official lists of Android devices that are supported and those that are not. Additionally, the reason as to why some devices don’t support the assimilation of Google Lens with a phone’s camera is still not clear.

The Rise of AI

As a society, we have fully submerged ourselves within the realms of technology. There’s no denying the amount of convenience that smartphones, smartwatches, and even smart kitchen appliances bring. However, with all great things come the negative aspects of it. The more we heavily rely on technology and the Internet, the more vulnerable we become to cyber attacks and issues regarding cybersecurity .

The dark side of technological advancements is hard to ignore. An example of such is the widespread popularity of deepfake videos. Superimposing a person’s face onto another sounds terrifying for most. This is especially because it can make it seem like someone said or did something they never truly did. This opens discussions about the rampant spread of fake news and false information.

Using AI for Fun

However, when used for fun and entertainment purposes, AI and augmented reality (AR) can lead to technological wonders in industries. In 2020, South Korean electronics company LG launched its “ARtist” section available on its U+ AR mobile app. This feature merges virtual imagery of idols into real-life backgrounds. It allows users a virtual front-row seat to musical performances, at least within their smartphones. 

LG has included several Kpop idols and artists to be part of this new AR concept. That means that Kpop girl group BlackPink can really be in your area. Other Kpop idols that partnered with LG include the Kings of the Hallyu Wave, Super Junior, singer Stella Jang, and rapper Changmo.

If this concept sounds similar to that of Pokemon Go , then you would be correct. It uses the same Al and AR technology to develop the widely popular Pokemon mobile game. Furthermore, the vast impact of the Pokemon franchise even led to Google and Nintendo teaming up to promote the release of one of the best Switch games . Here, users could use Google Lens to scan the physical box of Pokemon Sword or Shield . Afterwards, a special video will play on top of the cover art. Unfortunately, this feature is only limited to Japanese versions of the game.

What’s Next for Google Lens?

Google has been at the forefront of technological innovation for 20 years now. Google Lens already boasts incredible features. It can be your tour guide and interpreter when traveling overseas. It can also give you outfit inspirations and ideas. This image recognition tool can even help you with your schoolwork and aid you in your productivity. However, we are certain this isn’t the end of the line for Lens.

What other technological limits can Google overcome? Google apps are certainly helping in people’s day-to-day. Additionally, it surely looks like more and more people are turning to Lens to make their everyday lives easier. This is evident because the app has now surpassed 500 million installs on the Play Store.

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