Skip to main content

Google Lens is now available as a stand-alone app or inside Google Camera

Dan Baker/Digital Trends

If you’re looking for an easier way to access Google Lens, look no further than the new shortcut app now available in the Google Play Store and, for Pixel and Nexus Devices, the Google Camera app. 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 will be able to access the same functionality as you would otherwise — and you can still access Lens via Google Assistant. After launching the Google Lens stand-alone app earlier this month, Google is now rolling out a Lens mode inside the Google Camera app.

Google Lens, which made its initial debut at Google’s I/O 2017 event, lets you extract text and hyperlinks from images, and can also identify a number of landmarks around the world. It first became available to Google Pixel phones at the end of 2017, and then was launched across all Android phones in March. On March 16, it finally made its way to iOS users, too.

Recommended Videos

More recently, Google announced a few updates to Lens that make it more useful still. At I/O 2018, the tech giant revealed that Google Lens is now built into the camera app on phones from 10 manufacturers: LG, Motorola, Xiaomi, Sony, Nokia, Transsion, TCL, OnePlus, BQ, and Asus. And when you open the camera app on one of these phone makers’ handsets, you will be able to point your camera at an object and find similar products. So if you see a dress you like, you can get Google Lens to show you the same or a similar garment, and if it’s available, buy it directly through Google Shopping. There is also Smart Text Selection, which allows you to point your camera at a chunk of text and then copy it, translate it, or send it to someone.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The latest Lens integration to roll out, previously announced at I/O 2018, is a Lens mode inside Google Camera on Pixel and Nexus devices. The smart camera is found alongside the app’s other camera modes like portrait mode. With the update, it’s now possible to find Lens in a stand-alone app, inside Google Assistant, Google Photos, and now, Google Camera.

With all of this functionality, it’s no wonder that folks are looking for easier ways to access the feature. However, we should point out that even though Google Lens is now a stand-alone app and integrated into a handful of others, it’s not necessarily compatible with all Android devices. For example, while it will work with the Samsung Note 8, it won’t play as nicely with the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus. Other users have noted that the app doesn’t work on the Moto Z Play, Nokia 7 Plus, and the Xiaomi Mi A1. You’ll have to be running Android Marshmallow and above in order to access the app.

Updated on June 26: Add integration with Google Camera.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Your Google Maps app is about to look different. Here’s what’s changing
Screenshot of the new teal color in the Google Maps app.

If you own an Android device such as a Samsung Galaxy S24 or Google Pixel 9 Pro, there is a small design update coming to the Google Maps app that aims to enhance its visual appearance and user experience. The app will be adopting a new interface color scheme, which could make navigation and interaction feel fresher.

As first reported by 9to5Google, Google Maps is set to change its signature blue accent for buttons and other user interface elements to a dark shade of teal.

Read more
6 excellent iPhone apps that I wish were available on Android
Four iPhone exclusive apps and associated widgets on an iPhone 16 Pro homescreen

For the past 15 years, the way we think about and use technology has been completely reshaped. What was once a hardware-first industry quickly became a software-first one, and this radical evolution of technology can be traced back to one pivotal moment. In 2009, Apple debuted the iPhone 3G and the first App Store. This launch ushered in a new era: the smartphone, complete with apps. It also debuted one of the best commercials, complete with a catchphrase that is sometimes still used today: There’s an app for that.

For many years, the iPhone had a plethora of apps that were not available on Android. While most of these are now available cross-platform, not every developer has embraced the billions of potential customers who don’t have an iPhone. Even now, some apps launch first on iOS and can take months or years to launch on Android.

Read more
Google is preparing a cool new feature for its Pixel Recorder app
The Voice Recorder app running on the Google Pixel 7 Pro.

Smartphones are great tools for voice recording, whether it’s a simple voice memo or even an interview. If you have a Pixel phone, then the Pixel Recorder app is about to get a lot more useful with a new “Clear Voice” feature discovered in the latest update's Android Package Kit (APK).

With Clear Voice, the Pixel Recorder app will “reduce background noise while recording for clearer speech playback.” Basically, it will keep human speech while removing unwanted and distracting background noise. The feature was found via 9to5Google in some strings in version 4.2.20241001.701169069 of the Pixel Recorder app.

Read more