Google Lens is a versatile free app that uses your device’s camera for a variety of tasks. If you’re an Apple user, you would be forgiven for thinking this article doesn’t apply to you, but Google Lens is available for you, too!
What Can Google Lens Do?
Google Lens can use your photos to lots of things, including:
- Extract text from an image
- Search for similar images online
- Translate text in an image
- Provide information about your location
- And more!
How Do I Get Google Lens?
Android
Android users can access Google Lens in three different ways:
- Within Google Photos – open a photo and tap “Lens” in the bottom toolbar
- Ask the Google Assistant to “Use Google Lens”
- Download the Google Lens app
Note: some Android phones used to access Lens directly from the camera app, but that functionality was removed in Android 14.
iOS
To use Google Lens on an iPhone or iPad:
- Download the Google Photos app from the App Store. Open a photo and select Lens.
- Download the Google Search app from the App Store (it mentions Lens in the description). Tap the Lens icon (next to the microphone).
Where Can I Learn More About Google Lens?
Tech-Talk has written a great article and created a video about how to use Google Lens. For more details about how to download and use Google Lens on your device, head to “What You Can Do With Google Lens.” If prompted, the username and password are both colonie (all lowercase).
