Google Lens has been becoming more and more of a fantastic search tool recently. Now it seems to have completed its transition from a perk to a basic feature. It has been present on Google Photos and as a Google Chrome module. But the real recognition has just come to Lens when it appeared on the main Google page, among the most important tools.
Now, as you enter google.com, the minimalistic search bar will show you one more element. Along with the microphone to the right, there is a camera icon. As you click it on your PC or tap on a tablet, you will be offered three options for entering an image. You can drag it from a folder, open it with Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac), or paste the link if the image is online.
As you do, you will be redirected to the familiar Lens page. It may take several seconds for Google to process the image, but once it’s done, it’s as easy as it is with text or voice requests. If there is a text on the picture, you can select and copy it just like you do with any text. Google Lens in the web version supports all the languages that it does as a part of Photos app or Chrome. If suddenly the text on the picture is not in one of these, you can use Google Translate with it right from within Lens.
While the left part of the screen is occupied with the picture itself and the tools necessary for it, the right one is dedicated to the results. It may show the most relevant videos from YouTube, questions and answers related to the topic, and traditional Google search results as pages. This isn’t changed much compared to the text request return page.
Unlike Image Search, Lens does not just search for fully or partially matching images: it fetches the information from the image and uses it in the search. Yet it does show you related pictures that may be as useful as usual.
Have you already tested Google Lens on the homepage? How did it perform? Is the interface easy to understand? Share your impressions with us in the comments if you please!