ONE of Google's most popular tools has received a massive boost that will benefit millions more people. Google Lens is already hugely helpful for quickly comparing products to find cheaper alternatives, as well as stepping in to identify monuments and buildings you don't recognise while on holiday. But now it's been infused with even greater capabilities utilising the company's AI Overviews tech for results without even having to type a question.
![[Google Lens identifying a car hood with a forged carbon vinyl wrap.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/e42843e7-d524-4a29-87ff-1f364a191168.jpg?strip=all&w=956)
"For many years, Lens has been able to identify billions of different objects — like plants, products or landmarks — by matching against a database of images indexed from the web," the firm said. "But now, with help from our advanced AI models, Lens can go much further and provide information on the contents of more novel or unique images.". Experts from Google showed The Sun how the tool might be more helpful, such as identifying a strange texture left on a car's hood.
![[Google Lens search results for a speakeasy bar on an iPhone.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Lens-search-your-screen-on-the-iOS-Google-app-still.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
But that's not all. The Google Lens tool is expanding to appear in the Chrome and Google apps for iPhone too from today. This means iOS users will no longer need to take screenshots or open a new tab. A new button allows you to simply draw, highlight or tap what you want to search on-screen. All you need to do is open the three-dot menu and select Search Screen with Google Lens. Lou Wang Senior Director, Product Management on Google Search, spoke exclusively to The Sun sharing his top tips for better Google Lens results.
"The angles, lighting, the quality of the image actually helps quite a bit in terms of getting the best result," he said. "Oftentimes we'll see a very blurry image of, let's say a shoe or something and it's in the dark. "We've actually become quite good at deciphering those images but the more clear the image, having a good photo, is always helpful. And while AI Overviews will help you spend less time typing added context on some Google Lens searches, adding information is still helpful.
