Google Lens becomes more capable on iPhone, AI Overviews expanded

Google's image recognition tech, Lens, has been updated with two new features. Users now get a new Lens option while they browse the web on their iPhone through the Google app or the Chrome browser.

They can use gestures such as drawing, highlighting, or tapping to select and search what's on their screen. To use the new option in Chrome, tap on the three-dot menu button and select "Search Screen with Google Lens." On the Google app, tap on the three-dot menu and select "Search this screen" to use the same feature.

Google Lens has been around for more than seven years now. It can identify different objects such as plants, products, or landmarks, by matching against a database of images indexed from the web. Last year, Google Lens was updated with voice interaction capabilities and the ability to search for nearby things by recording a video clip.

Google's own search engine is already a market leader, and the company flaunts that Lens is used for over 20 billion visual searches every month.

"Whether you’re reading an article, shopping for a product or watching a video, you can use this feature to quickly perform a visual search while browsing, without having to take a screenshot or open a new tab," Google said describing the new add-on.

The company added that a future update will make the new Google Lens option accessible via a Lens icon in Chrome's address bar, similar to the Lens experience it offers in the desktop version of the browser. The new Lens feature has started rolling out globally this week on both Chrome and Google app for iOS.

Google is also expanding AI Overviews to appear more often in the Lens results, with no need to add a question to your visual search. For instance, when you tap the camera icon in the Search bar to click a photo with Lens, an AI Overview will show up to describe what you're looking at, along with links to resources.

AI Overviews update is rolling out to English-language users in supported region on Google app for Android and iOS, and coming soon to Chrome on desktop and mobile devices. Hopefully, it doesn't ask you to glue cheese to your pizza anymore.