The stand-alone app allows folks to take advantage of the relatively new feature, even if your existing Android device doesn’t offer built-in functionality. (The LG G7, for example, has a dedicated button on the handset that lets you go straight to Google Lens.) With the new Lens app, you’ll be able to access the same functionality as you would otherwise — and you can still access Lens via Google Assistant.
Lens uses the smartphone camera to scan and identify real-world objects. It can recognise species of flower, translate menus in a foreign language, and add phone numbers from physical business cards into the contacts app on a phone. Until now, the feature was only available on smartphones that had been updated to include support for Lens within the native camera app.
As for the Google Lens app itself, all features such as real-time object recognition, in-camera text selection and object recognition among others are available to use and work fine. The app works in tandem with the camera, and employs Google’s search engine and the company’s virtual assistant for object identification in real-time.
How it works
Opening the Lens app for the first time brings up the viewfinder through which Lens can ‘see’ and identify nearby objects, landmarks and text. The lens can recognise species of dog, translate menus in a foreign language, and add phone numbers from physical business cards into the contacts app on a smartphone. The standalone app has exactly the same functionality as those phones which have Google Lens built directly into the operating system.
At this year’s I/O, Google Lens got a number of new features such as smart text selection, style match, and real-time search. Also, the company announced that Google Lens will come natively into a number of Android smartphones from leading brands like, HMD/Nokia, Transsion, TCL, Pixel, Pixel 2, Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact and OnePlus phones.
Google lens will additionally rolled out support to LG, Motorola, Xiaomi, Sony Mobile, Nokia, BQ, and Asus. You can download the Google Lens app from Play Store here.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
