Google introduced Lens back during Google I/O 2017. Back then it was its own separate app. The company expected people to go to it when they wanted to search the world. However, in recent years, it’s existed better as an auxiliary service implemented into other apps. For example, Lens is deeply integrated into Google Photos. While viewing your photos, you can activate Lens to scan that image. Lens has also been implemented into the Google image search on the Chrome browser. You can right-click on an image and activate Lens to scan that image right from your computer.
Lens finally made it to Google on Android
It’s already really easy to access Google Lens using your Android phone, but that doesn’t mean the company can’t provide even more ways of accessing the service. As spotted by 9To5Google when you open Google using a mobile browser on your Android phone, you will see a Google Lens shortcut. This will replace the microphone icon to do a voice search. When you press on the Google Lens icon, you’ll see a little square pop up in the middle of the screen. Then, it will take you right to the app. This feature differs from using Google Lens in Google Photos. When you use Lens in Photos, it will scan the picture that’s present on your phone. However, when you use Lens in the browser on Android, it will hop straight to the standalone Google Lens app. So, if you want to do a quick Google Lens scan of what’s on your screen, you will have to take a screenshot. Still, it’s nice to have just one more shortcut to access Google Lens just in case you happen to need it at a moment’s notice.
