Google Lens can do more than identify an object: it can pull text from a picture, translate signs, help with a photographed homework problem, and search a selected part of an image. Try the route that matches what you’re looking at—your camera, a saved photo, a webpage, or a YouTube Short.
Start with the right Lens route for your device
| What you’re using | Where to start | What you can search |
|---|---|---|
| Android phone or tablet | Google app or Google Photos; Assistant also has a documented screen-search route on Android 10 and later | Live camera view, saved image, or—in the Assistant route—content on screen |
| iPhone or iPad | Google app or Google Photos | Live camera view or saved image |
| Computer | Chrome: select “Search this tab with Google Lens” | Content on a webpage |
Google lists Lens uses for apparel and home goods, barcodes, business cards, books, event flyers, landmarks, artwork, plants, and animals. Depending on the image and available results, it may find similar products, product information, contact details, book summaries or reviews, calendar events, facts about a place or artwork, or plant and animal information. These are possible outcomes, not guaranteed results for every image. Google’s Lens overview describes the supported categories.
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When you want to search only part of a picture
Android and iPhone/iPad: select a region
- Open the image in Lens through the Google app or Google Photos.
- Tap the image, then drag the selection box over the object or detail you want to search.
- For a more specific match, select a smaller area. On Android, you can also follow up with a question using “Ask about this image.”
Region selection is useful when a picture contains several objects or when you want to find one item in a larger scene. Google documents these steps for Lens on Android and Lens on iPhone and iPad.
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Desktop: select webpage content
In Chrome, choose “Search this tab with Google Lens,” then click, highlight, or drag over the part of the page you want to search. You can ask about page content in the side panel and open results in new tabs. Google says a screenshot and page data are sent for processing and temporarily stored for that specific query; it says the page or image is not used for training as a result. This privacy description applies to this Chrome workflow. Google Chrome Help’s Lens instructions say, “You can search anything you find with Google Lens in Chrome.”
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When you want to copy, hear, or act on text
Point Lens at text or open a saved image, then select the text you need. On Android, Google lists actions including copy, listen, translate, and search. What else appears depends on the text: selecting a phone number may offer call or text actions; a business card may offer a contact-saving action; a link may open; and an address may be viewable in Maps. These are context-dependent actions, not a menu that appears for every selection. See Google’s Lens instructions for text selection.
When you want to translate a sign, screenshot, or document
- Open Lens and choose “Translate.”
- Point the camera at the text or select an image containing it.
- Choose the language pair, or let Lens detect the source language where available.
- Check the language selector on your device for the options available in that workflow.
Google’s general Lens page says it can translate into all Google Translate languages, while separate screenshot-translation instructions list a narrower language set. Those scopes are not interchangeable: check the selector in the camera or image workflow you are using rather than assuming every screenshot route supports the same languages. Lens feature information and Lens translation instructions describe the available routes.
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When you want help with a photographed homework question
Choose Lens’s “Homework” mode and photograph a math or science question. Google documents support for word problems, geometry, and diagrams as well as math and science problems. Use the result to understand the steps and concepts, rather than treating a generated answer as proof that your work is correct: Google’s help page describes the feature’s scope, not an accuracy guarantee or a school’s academic rules. See Google’s Lens help.
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- Shopping: Search apparel or home goods to find similar products and where to buy them. Shopping results are country-specific; Google’s documented country list is not a guarantee that identical results or all Lens features are available everywhere. Check Google’s current Lens help for its list.
- Barcode: Scan it to look for product information.
- Business card: Scan it to surface an option to save contact details.
- Book: Search its cover to look for a summary and reviews.
- Event flyer or billboard: Search it for an option to add an event to your calendar.
- Landmark or building: Search for details such as historical information or opening hours.
- Painting: Search an artwork to find information about its artist.
- Plant or animal: Search for possible species or breed information.
Google lists these as Lens use cases, not guaranteed identifications or actions for every photo. Its feature overview has the examples.
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When you want to search something in a YouTube Short
- On an Android or iOS phone, hold the device in portrait orientation and pause the Short.
- Choose Lens from the top menu.
- Tap, draw around, or highlight a visible object or place; you can also use Lens to translate captions.
Google says this Shorts feature does not use biometric facial recognition, though it may show results for notable public figures. Availability and the menu shown can depend on the app and device. See YouTube Help’s instructions for searching with Lens in Shorts.
When you want to search what’s already on your Android screen
Google documents an Assistant route for Android 10 and later, with Assistant enabled, to search what appears across websites and apps. Its instructions refer to Screen Context / Use screen context and Use screenshot settings, followed by a “Search screen” flow. Labels and steps may differ on current devices, so use the settings names shown on your phone. This is a distinct Android pathway, not the Chrome desktop workflow. See Google’s Android screen-search help.
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Check availability and visual-search history
Lens features and shopping results are not a single worldwide, identical package. In particular, Google’s country list concerns shopping results; it does not establish that every Lens feature works the same way in each location. Google also says Visual Search History can be controlled through Web & App Activity settings and is off by default in the setting described on its help page. Consult Google’s current Lens information and your account settings for applicable options.
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