It's easy to use Google Lens to get more information about products simply by taking a picture.
- You can use Google Lens to identify real-world objects with your camera and find information about plants, animals, landmarks, restaurants, products, and more.
- To use Google Lens with your camera and Google Assistant, you must have an Android phone. But you can also use Google Lens through the Google Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Here's what you'll need to do to use Google Lens to identify images.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Google Lens is a tool that uses image recognition to help you navigate the real world through Google Assistant.
You can use it to identify images on your camera and gain more information about landmarks, places, plants, animals, products, and other objects. It can also be used to scan and auto-translate text.
Here's what you'll need to do to start using this helpful tool to identify images around you.
Check out the products mentioned in this article:
Google Pixel 3 (From $799.99 at Best Buy)
iPhone Xs (From $999.99 at Best Buy)
iPad (From $329.99 at Best Buy)
How to use Google Lens
Before you can use Google Lens, make sure you've downloaded the app onto your phone from the Google Play store. And keep in mind that it's only available to those with an Android phone (unless you're using Google Photos, which you can see directions for at the bottom).
Once that's done, here's how to start using it to identify images via Google Assistant on an Android phone:
1. Long press the home button to open Google Assistant.
2. Tap the compass icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Devon Delfino/Business Insider
Tap the compass button in the bottom right corner.
3. Tap the camera icon, located to the left of the microphone icon in the bottom-center of the screen.
Devon Delfino/Business Insider Tap the camera button towards the bottom of the screen.
4. If this is your first time using Google Lens, you may have to tap "Get Started" to continue.
Devon Delfino/Business Insider
Click "Get started" to launch Google Lens.
5. Take a photo of whatever you want Google Lens to identify by tapping the search button in the bottom-center section of the screen.
Devon Delfino/Business Insider
Use the search button to get information with Google Lens.
Once you snap the photo and Google Lens identifies the image, you'll get a list of relevant information about it.
To tap into the tool's other features, you can select from a number of different options depending on your photo - the document icon to scan text, the character icons to translate text, the shopping cart for shopping information, or the fork and knife icon for restaurants.
How to use Google Lens through Google Photos
Alternatively, if you haven't yet enabled the Google Assistant on your phone or don't have access to it, you could also access Google Lens via the Google Photos app.
First, snap a photo of whatever you want to identify. Then open the Google Photos app, select that photo, and tap the Google Lens icon. From there, you should be able to access all of the tools and features mentioned above on your Android phone.
You can use Google Lens via Google Photos on your iPhone or iPad, but some of your options will be limited; for instance, you won't be able to identify products and barcodes.
Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:
How to set up Google Assistant on your iPhone or Android phone
How to set up a voicemail account and greeting on a Google Pixel, and access your mailbox from anywhere
'What is Google Assistant?': How to use and optimize Google's smart assistant on any compatible device
How to setup and use Google Home with your iPhone or Android device
