Google Camera Update Brings Google Lens to Pixel, Nexus Devices

At I/O 2018, Google announced that Google Lens will no longer stay buried inside Google Assistant and Google Photos app. The tech giant decided to merge the feature into the native camera apps in some smartphones. Since then, Moto, Asus, and even OnePlus integrated Google Lens into their camera apps, but Pixel and Nexus devices weren't getting the update. However, with the latest update, Google Camera brings Google Lens to Pixel, Nexus, and other Google supported devices.

Google camera version 5.2.025 brings the Google Lens integration to the above mentioned devices. After you update, you will now see the Google Lens option in the navigation bar. Clicking on it will open the camera again, this time asking you to tap on the object you want to search online. It will let you search, copy text, and even translate text on the object. Android Police confirms that the feature is working on the Nexus 6P and Pixel phones. However, all phones that are compatible with the Google Camera app should have the feature activated after the update. If you can't wait for the release, you can sideload the v5.2.025 release via APK Mirror.

Google Lens was unveiled at I/O last year as an image recognition tool that could provide contextual suggestions for objects that you scan with the camera. For instance, scanning a restaurant can show things like the menu, pricing, reservations, and timings. It is Google's experimental, camera-powered search engine that combines search, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and computer vision.

One of the notable features of Google Lens is smart text selection that connects the words you see with the answers and actions you need. This essentially means users can copy and paste text from the real world, such as recipes, gift card codes, or Wi-Fi passwords, directly to their smartphone. Google Lens, in turn, helps in making sense of a page of words by showing relevant information and images. There's also a discovery feature called style match that lets you just point the camera at an item of clothing, such as a shirt or a handbag, and Lens will search for items that match that piece's style.