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Google Lens, Google’s powerful image search tool, is expanding to Google’s homepage. Now you can search images using Google Lens on your computer to get information about what’s in a photo.
About Google Lens Coming to Google.com
Google Lens is a helpful search tool that provides information about objects in images. You can use Google Lens to find the location of landmarks, identify plants and animals, learn about artwork, and more.
Google Lens can also search text in an image and translate the text into a different language
First introduced with Google’s Pixel phone in 2017, Google Lens expanded to the Google Photos app for iPhones and Android phones in 2018.
For more on Google Lens, see: Google Lens Identifies What’s in Photos — Now for Android and iPhone
If you’ve enjoyed using Google Lens on your phone and wished you could use it on your computer, you might have been frustrated.
Good news! Now, you can use Google Lens on your computer at Google.com.
At the end of last year, Google announced it was bringing Google Lens to its homepage. Rajan Patel, VP of Engineering at Google, tweeted the announcement in November:
Google Lens is now available in the search bar at Google’s homepage.
How to Use Google Lens on Your Computer
Using Google Lens on your computer is easy. Go to google.com. In the search bar, click the camera image.
Next, upload or drag an image into Google Lens. Or, you can search an image on a different website by pasting the web address of the image in the search bar.
After you add an image or link to search, Google Lens will do its magic and give you information about what’s in the image.
You can use Google Lens to find out more about things you saw while on a trip. Or remind yourself what it was that you saw when you traveled.
You can also use Google Lens to find the sourrce of an image. Click Find image source above the photo you’re searching.
Using Google Lens with Text in an Image
You can also use Google Lens at google.com to search text in an image and/or translate text in an image to a different language. When you search for an image using Google Lens via google.com, you have three categories to choose from:
- Search
- Text
- Translate
The default category is Search which tells you what’s in an image, but you can also use Google Lens to search and translate text.
Using Google Lens to Search Text in an Image
Click Text to search for text in the image. You can either hightlight potions of text in the image by clicking and dragging the text you want to search. Or you can click the button that says: Select all text.
Google Lens will then search the text you’ve selected in the image.
Using Google Lens to Translate Text in an Image
You can also use Google Lens to translate text in an image into another language. After you’ve added the image to Google Lens, select Translate under the image.
Google Lens will detect what language the text is in. Then you choose which language you would like Google Lens to translate the text into. The translated text will appear next to the image.
Your Thoughts
Have you used Google Lens to search images on your phone? Are you glad Google is bringing Google Lens to its website? Have you used Google Lens to search or translate text in an image?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
Happy 12th Anniversary to The Wonder of Tech!
Today marks the 12th anniversary of The Wonder of Tech! On this day in 2011, I hit the Publish button for the first time and began this incredible journey of sharing personal technology with the world.
Thank you very much to all of you wonderful readers who have joined me on this journey. Whether this is your first article, or you’ve been with The Wonder of Tech since the beginning, or somewhere in between, you are the reason The Wonder of Tech continues to thrive.
I hope you continue to enjoy The Wonder of Tech for many more years to come!
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*12 Years image (edited) from Shutterstock via PicMonkey Pro
Kaarina says
Happy Anniversary! And although you know I’m a techno-not, I benefit greatly when your post is something that this luddite can use. I use google lens on my phone all the time. Great to know I can now use it on my desktop. Cheers!
Carolyn Nicander Mohr says
Hi Kaarina, Thank you for your blogiversary wish and for following The Wonder of Tech over all of these 12 years. This news about Google Lens is exciting for those of us who use it on our phones. I’m glad you’re a fellow fan of Google Lens, Kaarina.
Praveen Rajarao says
Hi Carolyn,
First off, Congratulations on the anniversary of WonderOfTech. You are doing great with this and I keep coming back here for tech-tips!!
Google lens for computers huh!!! great article, never have any open questions after reading your comprehensive and well researched topics.
Carolyn Nicander Mohr says
Hi Praveen, Thank you for your warm wishes and for being with The Wonder of Tech from the beginning! I’m glad you found this article helpful. I, too, am a big fan of Google Lens and am excited to have it available on my computer now.
Nanette Levin says
Happy anniversary! Still loving your content and insight :-).
Carolyn Nicander Mohr says
Thank you so much, Nanette. I have appreciated your encouragement and support from the very beginning of The Wonder of Tech!