Google is upgrading its AI search capabilities on mobile with a new version of Google Lens that will let you search using video for the first time. The upgrade also includes asking questions with your voice instead of typing.
When you open Google Lens on an iPhone or Android handset, you'll see a redesigned interface and the choice of sending an image as now or a short 20-second video to Gemini for analysis.
During a briefing, Google told me the video capabilities will allow for more complex responses to things you can't capture with an image. One example I was given is sending a video of your child playing unusually on a slide and asking if it is safe. Google will respond almost instantly with an answer.
When asked about privacy, a Google spokesperson told me that any video would be deleted as soon as it had been sent to Gemini for analysis and wouldn't be used further to train the model or future versions.
A new search paradigm
While the video search is a fascinating addition, especially if I want to send a shot of an entire supermarket shelf in one go, the most significant change for me is being able to vocalize my question. No more typing the query then sending the image.
The voice option is also being added to the photo query option in Google Lens, with Google explaining that you "just point your camera, hold the shutter button and ask whatever’s on your mind — the same way you’d point at something and ask your friend about it."
Our systems will make sense of the video and your question together to produce an AI Overview, along with helpful resources from across the web.
Google first unveiled plans to add video and voice to Google Lens during its Google IO event earlier this year, and it is finally starting to roll out to all users. There are currently no plans to bring video to the web, but the company has recently integrated its tiny Gemini Nano model into Chrome — so you never know.
According to Google Lens, queries are now the fastest-growing search query type, making it easier to search the world around you. Apple is also entering the space with Apple Visual Intelligence coming to iOS 18.1.
The updated Google Lens feature is easy to find. You only need to enter Google Lens and hold the shutter button. This allows your phone to record video and gives you time to ask questions.
Google explained: "Say you’re at the aquarium and want to learn more about some interesting fish at one of the exhibits. Open Lens in the Google app and hold down the shutter button to record while asking your question, like, “Why are they swimming together?” Our systems will make sense of the video and your question together to produce an AI Overview and helpful resources from across the web."
Other updates from Google AI Search
The company has also provided AI overviews and upgrades to allow for updates to Google Lens. This feature puts natural language responses in the results in addition to the usual list of links. It is designed "for those questions that may be open-ended or have no single right answer."
Search result pages on mobile will now get a new look, starting with recipe and meal inspiration-related responses. Now, you'll get a full-page experience rather than just a section at the top. Google says this will include "content and perspectives from across the web including articles, videos, forums and more — all in one place."
"In our testing, people have found AI-organized search results pages more helpful," a spokesperson explained. "And with AI-organized search results pages, we’re bringing people more diverse content formats and sites, creating even more opportunities for content to be discovered."
Circle to Search is also getting an update, allowing users to ask which song is playing without switching to another app. This will be natively available to more than 150 Android devices.
