Google Lens, a tool that leverages smartphone cameras to recognize objects, is now available to iOS users. The rollout began this week and will continue over the next several weeks.
Lens is not a standalone app—rather, it’s a feature integrated within Google Photos, allowing users to take photos of objects to learn more about them.
Starting today and rolling out over the next week, those of you on iOS can try the preview of Google Lens to quickly take action from a photo or discover more about the world around you. Make sure you have the latest version (3.15) of the app.
— Google Photos (@googlephotos) March 15, 2018
Using Google Photos, Lens can recognize various objects, such as:
- Business cards
- Books
- Landmarks
- Buildings
- Artwork
- Plants
- Animals
- Flyers
- Billboards
When using Google Lens to take photos of objects with contact information, like a business card, the information can be automatically saved to a user’s phone.
Additionally, taking photos of objects like an event flyer will allow users to automatically create an event in their calendar.
To access Google Lens on iOS, first make sure you’ve updated the Google Photos app to version 3.15, then follow the steps below:
- Launch Google Photos
- Select a photo of an object
- Tap on the Google Lens icon
- View further details about the object, or take an action when prompted
Google Lens activity will be saved to your Google account as long as web and app activity is turned on.
