Use Lens to search your screen while you browse on iOS

Every month, Google Lens is used for more than 20 billion visual searches. And now we’re introducing two updates for Lens that’ll make it even easier to search what you see, across more apps and devices.

First, if you have an iPhone, you’ll find a new Lens option that lets you select and search what’s on your screen within Chrome or the Google app, using whatever gesture comes naturally — like drawing, highlighting or tapping. 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.

To get started in Chrome, open the three-dot menu and select “Search Screen with Google Lens.” In the coming months, you’ll also see a new Lens icon in the address bar to access the same feature, similar to the Lens experience for Chrome desktop we launched last summer.

It works the same way in the Google app for iOS. Just tap the three-dot menu, choose “Search this Screen” and then select what you’d like to search.

This update is rolling out this week and will be available globally on both Chrome and the Google app for iOS.

See it, search it, get help from AI

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. 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. For those kinds of queries, AI Overviews will begin to appear more often in your Lens results, with no need to add a question to your visual search.

Perhaps you come across an interesting-looking car and want to learn more about the strange texture on its hood. Just tap the camera icon in the Search bar to snap a photo with Lens. You’ll get an AI Overview to help you quickly make sense of what you’re looking at, along with links to helpful resources on the web.

This update is rolling out this week for English-language users in countries where AI Overviews are available, starting with the Google app for Android and iOS, and coming soon to Chrome on desktop and mobile devices.

From quick screen searches to more AI Overviews, these latest Lens updates can help you explore all the web has to offer, no matter what you’re looking for (or looking at).