Google previewed a video search feature for Google Lens earlier this year at the I/O 2024 developer conference. According to Android expert Mishaal Rahman, the feature has started rolling out to some Android users over the last few days.
For the uninitiated, the feature lets you ask questions about the objects around you after recording a short video clip. Whatever you need to know about the things in the video, you can say out loud, and the video search feature will look it up.
For instance, you can find out why your device is not working, such as a record player that doesn"t turn on and its metal piece with the needle drifts unexpectedly. Just record a clip and ask, "Why will this not stay in place?" You can also look up the model name of an unknown device in front of you.
According to Google, the feature can save time and effort as you don"t need to find the "right words to describe this issue." After taking your query, it displays an AI Overview describing the steps and resources to fix your problem.
You can now send a video to Google to ask questions about it!
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) September 30, 2024
If you open Google Lens on Android and hold down the shutter button, it"ll record a short video that you can ask a question about.
If you"re in a region where AI overviews are enabled, then you"ll get an AI-generated… pic.twitter.com/qeGWy6u1TM
You can open Google Lens on Android and long-press the shutter button to record a video and ask a question. Rahman notes that the video search feature will respond with an AI-generated answer if the AI Overviews feature is enabled in your region.
Google said at the time that the video search feature would first be available for English-language users in the US and then expand to more regions.