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A calculator is a handy tool for solving math problems, but it can sometimes be a pain to type the equation. Google Lens can solve a problem simply by taking a photo. We'll show you how to use the feature.

Android devices can access Google Lens in a couple of different ways, depending on your phone. However, the universal method that works for Android , iPhone , and iPad is through the Google app.

Of course, the first thing you'll need is a math problem to solve. Google Lens can solve simple equations such as "5+2" or more complex formulas such as "x 2  - 3x + 2." You can scan the problem from a real-world piece of paper or from a digital display.

Open the "Google" app on your  Android  phone or tablet, iPhone , or  iPad . Tap the "Lens" icon from the right side of the search bar.

Next, swipe over to "Homework" in the bottom toolbar.

Point your device's camera at the math problem you want to solve, making sure the problem is inside the frame. Tap the "Shutter" button.

First, double-check that the question at the top of the card is correct. You can tap "Steps to Solve" to see the steps that were taken to get to the solution. The solution is shown at the bottom.

To scan a different problem from the same photo, tap the "T" icon above the solution card.

Next, tap the next solution you'd like to solve.

The solution will appear in the card below again.

If the Google response is not adequate or it can't find a solution, you can pull up on the card to reveal the full Google Search results with solutions from other sources.

That's it! Hopefully, you'll be able to find solutions to all your problems.

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Google Lens adding ‘Homework’ filter for solving math equations, science problems

For the past several weeks, we’ve been tracking a math solver for Google’s visual search tool. Today, the Google Lens “Homework” filter was officially detailed and it covers more than just equations.

“Homework” features a graduation cap icon and prompts you “to take a photo of a homework question.” The viewfinder is even rectangular (versus square) and thus better suited for framing math problems and long questions.

After tapping the capture button, Google Lens will highlight all the equations or questions in view. Selecting one will pull up a sheet with options to copy the text, send to your compute r via Chrome, or edit the math equation. 

A “Steps to solve” card presents several options: Overview, Solve using quadratic formula, Solve by Factoring. Users are then presented with a step-by-step breakdown and the answer.

When pointing at a science question, the Google Lens Homework filter can surface Knowledge Panel cards with graphics and explanations of the underlying concept. There’s also information about other key concepts and similar problems. Google says these features “help improve comprehension and understanding of core topics.”

These guides will also appear in Search, while Android, iOS, and the mobile web will surface 3D content related to almost 100 STEM concepts across biology and chemistry.

The Lens problem solver is also available in and powered by the dedicated Socratic app aimed at high school and college students. Google purchased the app last August and relaunched it in February.

More about Google Lens:

• Google Lens adds ‘Places’ filter
• Lens appearing in Gboard with nifty ‘send to keyboard’ integration
• Google Lens is now available on KaiOS feature phones for visual translations

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How To : Solve Math Problems with Google Lens' Homework Mode

Since launching Google Lens as a a Pixel-exclusive feature in 2017, Google has not only expanded the availability of the tool to Android and iOS, but also built upon its functionality. Now, in addition to translator , tip calculator , personal shopper , and tour guide , Google has added math tutor to the job description for Google Lens.

Yes, with Homework mode, Google Lens can help you solve equations and learn math. And it arrives just in time, as many students in the US find themselves in remote learning situations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Don't Miss: 8 Ways Google Lens Can Help You Be More Productive

Step 1: Access Google Lens

There are multiple ways to access this feature, but here's the best one. Open the Google Assistant by long-pressing your home button or swiping inward from one of the bottom corners. From there, press the Google Lens icon (to the left of the mic icon) and grant access to your camera if prompted.

If you have a Pixel smartphone, then Google Lens is built into your Camera app. When you open the Camera, tap More to access the additional camera features, where you'll find Lens.

Step 2: Enter Homework Mode

With Lens open, you'll notice that the camera view is constantly scanning what it sees. But, for the purpose of solving math problems, you'll want to select Homework mode from the ribbon menu at the bottom.

Step 3: Scan the Equation

Center the target brackets over the equation until Lens recognizes it and highlights it on the screen. Tap the equation, and Lens will analyze it. Lens can recognized typed or hand-written equations, though legibility can handicap the app's abilities for the latter.

Step 4: Solve & Learn

For simpler equations, Google will provide the steps to solve the problem as well as the solution. For more complex functions, Google will punt to other services from the web, such as Cymath, MathPapa, and Wolfram|Alpha.

You can also scroll further to find other resources, such as flashcards for similar problems from Quizlet and key concept explanations. Homework mode isn't as helpful for solving word problems, however, the hive mind of Google does provide resources from across the web for these exercises as well.

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Google Lens Can Now Help With Math and Science Problems

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Google is looking to help children and parents get ready for a whole new form of school when education resumes in the coming months. The company announced a slew of new educational tools and features on The Keyword .

While all the changes seem useful, the one that really stands out from the crowd is the update to Google Lens. It was already a useful tool, but Google is adding a new feature that will allow it to help with solving difficult math and science questions.

Google Lens Homework Help

The new Google Lens feature uses Socratic to allow students or parents to take a photo of a difficult problem and get help.

It's not just a tool that provides you with the answer, either (though it does give you the answer in the end). Instead, Google Lens and Socratic will provide step-by-step instructions to solve the problem. It'll also show helpful explainers that will help the student actually learn to solve the math or science equation. After all, the point isn't just to find out the answer, but to understand how to reach it yourself.

Google Lens is an awesome visual search tool that's becoming more useful as the company introduces new functionality to it. With this new homework feature, not only does it function as a cool way to find information, but it could be a game-changer for kids who struggle with difficult math problems.

For science, Google Lens will show graphics and explanations of the concept you're struggling with when it scans a question.

How to Use Google Lens for Homework Help

The feature is incredibly easy to use. To start with, you need to tap the graduation cap within Google Lens. From there, it'll prompt you to take a photo of the problem you need help with. Google Lens will highlight all of the equations or questions it sees, and you tap the one you're stuck on . Next, you'll have the option to copy the text, send it to your computer via Chrome, or edit the math equation.

Below those options is a Steps to Solve area. You can use this to learn how to solve the problem and ultimately find the answer to the question. This same method applies to both math and science questions, though the type of results will vary.

Get More Homework Help

Homework is hard. We've all struggled with various concepts in school throughout the years. Thankfully, the internet has made finding homework help much easier. Check out these Chrome extensions that will help with your homework for even more assistance.

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Google Lens guide: How to use Google's powerful visual search tool

Published on June 16, 2023

Google Lens is the visual search tool you never knew you needed. Think of it as Google Search but for images. It lets you look up information on things you see, translate and copy text from pictures, get help with schoolwork, and much more. The best thing about it? It doesn’t require any typing.

Launched in 2017, Google Lens is available for Android or iOS, and it’s integrated into Google Assistant, Google Photos, some camera apps, and the Chrome browser .

Google Lens taps into Google’s huge trove of data, internet services, and machine learning algorithms. While it’s less popular than other Google services, Lens is a seriously impressive tool that virtually everyone will find useful in their daily lives.

How Google Lens works

Google describes Lens as a “set of vision-based computing capabilities that can understand what you’re looking at.”

Google Lens compares the picture you just took (or even the image in your viewfinder) against a huge database of images from around the web. Machine learning algorithms sort and rank indexed images based on how closely they match your shot.

Lens attempts to “understand” what’s in the picture. If it “sees” text, links, or QR codes, it will give you the option to interact with these elements. Taking a picture of a landmark like the Eiffel Tower will provide information about it. If the image contains a product like a pair of headphones, Lens will provide helpful links to retailers where you can buy that product. The list goes on and on.

Google is constantly improving Lens with new features, just like its core product, Google Search. Below you’ll find a selection of the best Google Lens features you can use right now.

How to get Google Lens on your Android phone or tablet

For this Google Lens guide, we’ll assume you want to get the standalone Google Lens app for Android, which is the best way to experience it. To do so, click on the link below to install the app.

• Google Lens for Android on Play Store

Google Lens is also part of the main Google app, which is preinstalled on all Android phones. To access it, tap on the “camera” icon in the app’s search box. You can also open it via Google Assistant with the “open Lens” voice command.

Several Android phone makers embed Lens in their camera apps. Look for the Lens icon in the interface or overlaid on the viewfinder.

Google Lens is also built into Google Photos on Android. Just open an image in Google Photos and tap on the Lens icon at the bottom of the screen.

How to get Google Lens on your iPhone or iPad

On iOS devices, Google Lens is available via the Google app, which is available from the App Store . Note that you can’t use Lens by going to the Google search page in your browser.

Alternatively, Google Photos ( download it from the App Store ) also integrates Lens on iOS.

How to use Google Lens

Regardless of how you open it, Google Lens is easy to use. You should see a viewfinder and the camera roll with your recent pictures when you open it. Tap the viewfinder to take a new picture, or look for an older one in the camera roll.

You can also use it on screenshots and other images stored on your phone — tap on the downward arrow symbol next to Screenshots to see all folders.

When you analyze a picture with Google Lens, you’ll see a shutter button and a slider that lets you switch between the modes the app supports:

Depending on which mode you’re using, Lens will allow you to interact with the contents of the image, by copying text, opening links, saving contact information, and more.

Top things you can do with Google Lens

How to translate text from images with google lens.

Have you ever found yourself staring at an important-looking sign written in a foreign language? Google Lens to the rescue.

You can use Google Lens as a visual translator for many languages. Just point the app at some text you want to translate and wait a second. Lens will attempt to recognize the language, but you can manually select the language pair if it fails to do so automatically.

The app overlays translated text over the original image. It works best when you have a clear and unobstructed view of the text. Even when it’s not perfect, it’s usually enough to understand the gist of the text.

This incredibly useful feature has long been part of Google Translate, but having it baked into Lens makes it even more accessible.

Once you have some translated text, you can choose to copy it, send it to your computer, use it as a search term, listen to it, or transfer it to the Google Translate app.

How to copy-paste text from real-life

With Google Lens, you can copy printed or even handwritten text from just about anywhere and quickly turn it into editable text you can interact with on your phone or computer.

It’s as simple as pointing your phone at the text you want to copy and tapping the shutter button. Lens will highlight any text it recognizes and allow you to select it. From there, you can copy it, use it as a search term, translate it, or send it to your computer.

Transferring text from your phone to your computer is an especially helpful Google Lens feature. Let’s say you want to copy several paragraphs from a textbook and don’t want to type it out by hand. Use Google Lens to snap a picture, then select the text you want and tap Copy to computer . You will see a list of devices where you are signed in in the Chrome browser. Select the computer you want, and the text will be added to its clipboard. Just hit Paste or Ctrl-V/Cmd-V in any text field to see it.

Open URLs from images

When Google Lens spots a URL in the image, it gives you the option to open the link. Just take the picture; in most cases, the URL will be highlighted automatically. In some cases, you may need to switch to Text mode and/or highlight the URL manually. From there, you should see a pill button with a globe icon that will take you to the respective URL.

Scan QR codes and barcodes with Google Lens

QR codes have become ubiquitous, but some phone makers still don’t include QR recognition in their camera apps . With Lens, you can just point the phone at the code you want to open and wait for the overlay with the URL of the code to pop open. Click on it and off you go.

Similarly, you can scan barcodes on products ranging from books to personal electronics. This can be especially handy when you want to identify a product or find a shopping link for it.

Search for objects with Google Lens

If you take pictures of something that Google can identify with any degree of confidence, Lens will display search results related to that thing. It’s the fallback option that you get when none of the other options (text, barcodes, shopping, etc.) apply.

If you take a picture of something very generic, like a sunset, you will be shown images that resemble your picture. In general, though, Google will always attempt to understand the contents of the image, as opposed to just returning the most visually similar images.

If you point Lens at a dog or cat, the app will look for pictures of animals that resemble your pet. In many cases, it will even tell you what breed it thinks the pet is.

If you point at a consumer product, Lens will usually do a good job of recognizing the product and returning the most relevant results for it. Scanning my Xbox controller returned links to retailers selling the same model and some news sites talking about it. Scanning barcodes or labels on the product is another good way to get precise matches.

Here’s a list of things Google Lens can recognize and offer useful info on:

• Pets and other animals
• Books, CDs, DVDs
• Other consumer products

Search for similar faces in Google Photos

In December 2022 , Google started testing new functionality within Google Photos. When viewing photos with faces, some users found that a new search button replaced the Lens button. Users could tap the search button to detect other photos that include that person’s face.

Previously tapping the Lens button would let you search for similar images online, as detailed in the previous section. However, this new functionality specifically searches for people in your photo library. Additionally, tapping on the face of a given person will display other images of that person too.

The feature seems to remain a limited test, and there’s no clear indication that it’ll become a mainstay on Photos in the future. It’s worth giving it a whirl if you have it.

Notably, Google Photos is now very good at recognizing and tagging people from behind , even if it can’t see their faces.

Get help with your schoolwork with Google Lens

If you’re as hopeless at math as I am, you’ll appreciate Google Lens’ ability to provide help with solving equations. You can point the camera at simple formulas or school questions and tap Homework. Make sure you highlight the formula and double-check that the app has correctly picked it up (sometimes Lens misinterprets math symbols). Lens will then show a “Your math problem” message and provide links to specialized websites that offer help with solving problems, such as Tiger Algebra.

Homework help isn’t the most reliable Google Lens feature, but it can still be a valuable tool for students. The goal is to help you understand the problem rather than just solve it for you.

Search for skin conditions

In June 2023, Google rolled out new AI functionality for Lens that allowed users to photograph their skin and search for any conditions they may have. The feature, dubbed Search Your Skin, also works on other body parts, including nails, lips, and hair. While we don’t think this is a stop-gap for a doctor’s visit (you should seek medical advice if you suspect something serious), it may be useful for identifying minor issues and suggesting next steps.

Read text aloud

Folks with eyesight problems or anyone who prefers to listen rather than read text will benefit from Lens’ ability to read out text. Just take a picture of the text you want to listen to, whether it’s the screen of your computer or the blurb on the back of a book. Tap Text and then Listen. The app should start reciting the text.

Add an event to your calendar with Google Lens

When Lens recognizes a date in the image you’re scanning, it will allow you to create a calendar event for that date. Perfect for setting reminders or creating calendar entries without manually opening the calendar app and digging for the right date.

To get this Google Lens feature, scan the date (several formats are recognized) and tap on the pill button with the date that shows up in the Text section.

Save info from a business card

Another business-oriented Google Lens feature is the ability to quickly save information from a business card. The app will recognize contact names, email addresses, and phone numbers and offer you the option to add them to your contacts app.

Call or email without typing with Google Lens

When Google Lenses recognizes a phone number or email address, you can tap on it to quickly jump to the calling or email apps. This eliminates any hassle with typing long numbers or addresses and can potentially save you some headaches caused by typos.

Navigate to an address

Google Lens recognizes addresses and displays a map thumbnail you can tap on to start navigating to that address. It also works with some zip codes/postcodes.

Buy stuff with Google Lens

When Lens identifies a product, the Shopping section will display links to retailers that offer that product. The thumbnails include price tags, and there is a price filter for quickly finding the best deals. If Google is unsure which product you have, it will display the products that match it the closest. You can also try scanning labels and barcodes for more precise results.

If you use Google Search to refine your shopping experience, you can now view clothes on several models wearing various sizes. Another new feature, dubbed guided refinements, lets users recreate the feeling of a store and suggests similar items.

Identify buildings and landmarks

Tourists will surely appreciate the Google Lens feature that lets you point your phone at buildings and landmarks and get an overlay with information about them. While it doesn’t work with your average nondescript city block or office building, it’s a great tool for identifying places of interest, ranging from museums to restaurants.

Find recipes and nutritional information

Pointing Google Lens at a dish, an ingredient, or even a restaurant menu will give you information on the food. Depending on what you select, you can get food recipes, places to online order a dish, or nutritional information on a portion of food or ingredients.

How to use Google Lens in the Chrome browser

Google has integrated Lens into its Chrome browser, where it replaces the well-known “Search for image” functionality. Lens in the Chrome browser works similarly to the mobile apps, allowing you to analyze the content of pictures, as well as copy and translate text. It lacks certain features, like opening links, saving contact details, or solving simple equations.

You can still tap the Find image source button in Lens for Chrome to bring up the old “Search for image” interface. But if you’re one of the users who hate the integration of Lens in Google Chrome, you can go back to the previous UI by toggling a Chrome flag .

Other Google Lens tips

• Google Lens is only as good as the image it analyzes. For the best results, ensure the image is blur-free, well-lit, and centred.
• Try to get only the main subject in the shot. When you have multiple things in the shot, Lens may have trouble understanding which object you’re interested in.
• Try a few angles. Just because the first image you scan doesn’t bring up any useful results doesn’t mean Lens has failed. Other angles/shots may prove better.
• Use the image selector to crop down the part of the image you want to analyze.
• Try switching between modes, e.g., between “Text” and “Search.” The app won’t always know which mode is more relevant to you.
• Select the text by scrolling over it. Depending on the type of text, you’ll need to select it to see all the things you can do with it.
• Try Lens on older pictures. You can use the app on any picture, regardless of when it was taken or by whom. If you find an interesting image online, you can download it on your phone and use Lens to learn more about its contents.
• Ditch those dedicated apps. If you have limited storage, consider uninstalling any standalone apps that Lens can replace. Examples include text recognition (OCR) apps, plant identifiers, animal identifiers, QR and barcode readers, business card digitizing apps, and more.

Google Lens FAQs

Google Lens is an extension of Google’s search service. If you trust Google with your search queries, not to mention email, location data, and much more, you shouldn’t have any problems with Lens either.

Google Lens is available as a standalone app for Android, is baked into the Google apps for Android and iOS, and is part of Google Photos, as well as some camera apps.

There is no dedicated Google Lens app for iPhone, but you can still use Lens if you download the Google app for iOS, and via Google Photos.

Google Lens is built into the Chrome browser for Windows and Mac. Right-click the image you want to scan and select “Search image with Google Lens. Additionally, Google Photos on the web supports text recognition powered by Google Lens.”

Yes, you can disable Lens from showing up in Chrome. Check out the instructions to do so here .

Google Lens is built into several Google apps and some camera apps. It’s likely been on your device out of the box, just like other key Google apps.

Yes. You can use Google Lens on any image, either by finding it in the app or through Google Photos.

Google Lens does understand handwriting, even cursive, so you can use it to convert handwritten notes into digital text. However, it’s not as precise as scanning typed text and may not work at all for poor handwriting/scribbles.

Google Lens does not work for recognizing people in images.

Google Lens is a tool that uses a phone’s camera to bring up helpful information for anything the user points it at. On the other hand, reverse image search lets a user look for images that are similar to an image they submit to Google – exactly like a normal Google search, but using an image rather than words.

Google Lens: how to use Google's super-useful AI camera app

Google Lens has a ton of useful tricks – here's how to use them

How to get Google Lens on Android

How to get google lens on iphone, the 11 best ways to use google lens, 1. scan barcodes, 2. check restaurant reviews as you walk, 3. learn about that restaurant dish, 4. check prices, 5. search photos you've already taken, 6. live translate text, 7. get help with your maths homework, 8. read out articles, 9. copy text or notes to your laptop, 10. learn about works of art, 11. identify plants and animals.

Google Lens is what you get when you feed the giant mountains of data from other Google services into a camera app. 

Point your phone at a product and Google Lens will find out what it is, and how much it costs online. Show it a landmark and Lens will identify it using the vast Google Images library and tie it to handy info like opening hours. 

If there’s text, Google Lens will use optical character recognition to identify it, and let you use it as a search term without typing it in yourself.

It's been around since 2017, but rather than get quietly sidelined like so many other Google projects, Google Lens has slowly built up increasingly impressive powers – many of which aren't that well known or understood.

So we've rounded up some of our favorite Google Lens tricks here to show you how it can save you time and bother, or instantly search for things that you come across in the real world. But first, here's how to find it on Android and iPhone.

If you have a recent Android phone, a Lens mode may well already be built into the camera app. 

Look for the Google Lens icon (below), which is a couple of circles hemmed in by three sides of a square.

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Nothing there? Just download the Google Lens app from the Play Store .

Using the Google Lens app is much like using a camera app. There’s a shutter button at one end, marked with search icon, because you don’t actually end up taking photos with Lens. 

Instead, the phone effectively freeze-frames the view, giving Google Lens a scene to analyze so you don’t have to keep the camera pointed at the right spot while Lens does its thing.

The Google Lens experience is slightly different for iPhone users. Rather than having a standalone app or being integrated into the camera, Lens is instead built into the official Google app – which you can download for free from the App Store.

From here, it's simply a case of tapping that Google Lens icon in the search bar (to the left of the microphone), which you can see circled in red below.

This will open up the camera viewfinder, which gives you access to translate, shopping, text search and food search options – essentially, almost anything you point it at, Lens will be able to search for.

There is another way to use Google Lens on iPhone – if you an open a photo in the Google Photos app, you'll see the Lens icon on the bottom row of icons (second from the right). This lets you search for info on the objects or subjects in your Photos library – for example, a particularly tasty bottle of wine you logged for future reference.

Using Google Lens: the basics

When you hit the search button in Google Lens (on Android or iPhone), you’ll see blue dots in the image highlighting points of interest, and any recognized text will be covered by translucent block of white. 

Tap on these and Google Lens will bring up the relevant results. The app also lets you pick a category to pare down the kind of results you’ll see.

These vary between platform, but on Android you’ll see options like Dining, Places, Shopping, Homework, Search, Text and Translate. It's the same on iPhone, only without the Homework option, which is a highly impressive shortcut to solving maths questions.

Here are 11 of the top things you can actually do with Google Lens right now.

Google Lens has no problem with barcodes. After all, it’s effectively just a way to encode a number that identifies a product. 

It’s a dead easy way to look up stuff online without taking a picture of its front, or its name. That works sometimes, but there’s a consistency to the barcode approach we kind of like.

To scan a barcode, just point the Google Lens camera at a barcode (on iPhone, it's best to choose the 'Shopping' tab at the bottom), wait for it to mark the code with a blue dot and, if needed, hit the shutter. It'll then bring up the product name and link you to some online stores to buy it from. Handy.

Google Lens takes your location into account when harvesting results. Flick to the Places tab in the app, hold it up in front of a restaurant or shop front and the app will, in most cases, bring up its Google profile.

From here you can see how it’s rated according to Google’s reviews, and you can get a link to the place’s website – if it’s a restaurant you'll likely get to see the menu, too.

Of course, the building doesn't have to be a restaurant – you can also use Google Lens as a virtual tour guide, learning about local landmarks and getting spoon-fed handy information on their opening hours, historical facts and more.

Ever find yourself wondering what something on a menu actually is, but can't quite manage to get the attention of a busy waiter or waitress? Google Lens is perfect for this.

Just tap on a scanned menu and Lens will show you both a description of the dish, and even recipes for it. This is handy if you want to know what likely goes into the restaurant’s own version, of if you fancy learning how to make it yourself at home.

Even better for the indecisive, Lens will also sometimes highlight the restaurant's most popular dishes for you, allowing you to dig down further into reviews and real-world photos taken from Google Maps .

We love a bargain, and Google Lens offers a great way to check if a shop’s sale prices are actually a good deal. Take an image of a product in the app’s Shopping tab and online shopping deals will be prioritized in the search results.

Try taking a shot of the item itself if that’s the sort of image used on the product page, and has unique identifiers, such as its name. Otherwise you might want to try shooting the box or its label. 

Google Lens may be smart, but it’s unlikely to be able to recognise, for example, a particular pair of jeans. In that case, scanning the tag would be the better option for more accurate results.

You don’t have to use the built-in camera with Google Lens – images from your gallery work just fine, too, and that means it works for something someone sent you over, say, WhatsApp .

On both Android and iPhone, press the little mountain icon by the shutter button to open up your photo gallery in the Google Lens app.

This is super-useful for images with text in them, as Google Lens will attempt to detect all text in the picture, which can then be searched and translated into different languages. Handy if you're abroad and trying to pick up the language on the fly – or just simply finding out the name of a place you visited.

Translation is one of the most useful features of Google Lens. More than 100 languages are supported, because it feeds into Google’s longstanding Translate service.

Translating text it recognizes is neat, but Google Lens goes further. The translated text is mapped onto the image in augmented reality fashion. This is particularly handy for menus and signs, we find. But you can also use it for things like train tickets, like the below.

Of course, restaurant menus aren't where this feature's use begins and ends. We've all felt a little lost or overwhelmed when in a foreign country. In this case, Google Lens can help you out in a pinch, say, if you need directions, or to figure out the specialty of a store you're interested in checking out.

Like this feature? Give the standalone Google Translate app a try too. It performs translations in real time, again in augmented reality, handy if you’re away from home and can’t read the local language.

The homework tab of Google Lens (which is currently Android-only) sounds like a way to cheat on your math homework, but it’s actually a lot smarter than that – and there’s more educational insight on offer here than you might think.

Sure, if you take a snap of a simple math calculation the links shown will include Google’s calculator and the solution, if it applies. But Google’s also offers 'Key Concept' information for algebraic equations, which tell you the basics of what’s going on in the problem posed.

Maths is a tricky subject to learn at the best of times, so with Google Lens being able to offer insight into how more advanced mathematical concepts work, we can imagine it being a handy helper for revision and preparing for exams.

Google Lens also makes great use of Google’s voice synthesis software. Using the Text tab, you can scan an article, a postcard or the back of a cereal packet, for example, and get Lens to read it out.

A Listen button will appear in the results whenever you scan text. We find this to be a great accessibility option and could be a huge boon for users with dyslexia, or even those looking to learn pronunciations of foreign words.

That's right, the Listen feature also works with non-English text. We tried highlighting both French and German text from images we'd taken, and in both cases, the phrases were audibly pronounced with appropriate local voices.

One feature of Google Lens is a pretty obvious application of the tech. You can copy scanned text to your phone’s clipboard, because of course you can – but the app goes one step further than that.

Google Lens also lets you copy that text to your PC or laptop. You just need to have the Chrome browser installed, and be logged into the same Google account you’re using on your phone. There’s a 'Copy to Computer' button for this feature, and it puts the text into your laptop/desktop’s clipboard.

This can be a handy shortcut if, for example, you find a section of text on your phone you'd like to refer to later, perhaps for an essay or research. That text can then be transferred over to your PC or laptop for future use.

Impressively, Google Lens can now also copy handwritten notes from your phone to your computer, as long as your handwriting is relatively neat. Just point the Lens camera at the notes, highlight it and hit 'copy' – you should then be able to go a doc in your Chrome browser and paste the text.

While the Google app can be used to identify songs, Google Lens is particularly good for identifying visual works like paintings and digital artwork.

This is a pretty simple, but handy, application of Google’s Image Search. You can just use the default 'search' tab for this one on Android and iPhone.

From there, you can search for similar images, the same image at different sizes, study the origins of the picture and, if it's a digital piece of artwork, discover who drew it and find links to their websites and social media pages.

The same Google Image search smarts can also be used to identify dogs, cats and types of plant. Once again it feeds into content Google already has in place. 

For example, when you search for 'Jack Russell Terrier' on Google, there’s a ready-made profile of the dog breed. It includes details like their life expectancy, average height and weight, and the common personality traits of the breed. By recognizing a kind of dog, cat or plant in an image, Lens can simply pull this stuff up instantly.

We also used Google Lens to identify a eucalyptus plant, and were able to learn all about it when the picture we snapped took us to the relevant Google search results. Doing research on plants that might look nice around the house? This Google Lens feature is your best bet, with surprisingly accurate results.

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Andrew is a freelance journalist and has been writing and editing for some of the UK's top tech and lifestyle publications including TrustedReviews, Stuff, T3, TechRadar, Lifehacker and others.

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Visual ways to search and understand our world

Oct 15, 2020

[[read-time]] min read

Whether you’re a student learning about photosynthesis or a parent researching the best cars for your growing family, people turn to Google with all sorts of curiosities. And we can help you understand in different ways—through text, your voice or even your phone’s camera. Today, as part of the SearchOn event, we’re announcing new ways you can use Google Lens and augmented reality (AR) while learning and shopping.

Visual tools to help you learn 

For many families, adjusting to remote learning hasn’t been easy, but tools like Google Lens can help lighten the load. With Lens, you can search what you see using your camera. Lens can now recognize 15 billion things—up from 1 billion just two years ago—to help you identify plants, animals, landmarks and more. If you’re learning a new language, Lens can also translate more than 100 languages , such as Spanish and Arabic, and you can tap to hear words and sentences pronounced out loud . 

If you’re a parent, your kids may ask you questions about things you never thought you’d need to remember, like quadratic equations. From the search bar in the Google app on Android and iOS, you can use Lens to get help on a homework problem. With step-by-step guides and videos, you can learn and understand the foundational concepts to solve math, chemistry, biology and physics problems.

Sometimes, seeing is understanding. For instance, visualizing the inner workings of a plant cell or the elements in the periodic table in 3D is more helpful than reading about them in a textbook. AR brings hands-on learning home, letting you explore concepts up close in your space. Here’s how Melissa Brophy-Plasencio, an educator from Texas, is incorporating AR into her lesson plans.

Shop what you see with Google Lens 

Another area where the camera can be helpful is shopping—especially when what you’re looking for is hard to describe in words. With Lens, you can already search for a product by taking a photo or screenshot. Now, we’re making it even easier to discover new products as you browse online on your phone. When you tap and hold an image on the Google app or Chrome on Android, Lens will find the exact or similar items, and suggest ways to style it. This feature is coming soon to the Google app on iOS.

Lens uses Style Engine technology which combines the world’s largest database of products with millions of style images. Then, it pattern matches to understand concepts like “ruffle sleeves” or “vintage denim” and how they pair with different apparel. 

Bring the showroom to you with AR

When you can’t go into stores to check out a product up close, AR can bring the showroom to you. If you’re in the market for a new car, for example, you’ll soon be able to search for it on Google and see an AR model right in front of you. You can easily check out what the car looks like in different colors, zoom in to see intricate details like buttons on the dashboard, view it against beautiful backdrops and even see it in your driveway. We’re experimenting with this feature in the U.S. and working with top auto brands, such as Volvo and Porsche, to bring these experiences to you soon.

AR experience of the 2020 Volvo XC40 Recharge

Everyone’s journey to understand is different. Whether you snap a photo with Lens or immerse yourself in AR, we hope you find what you’re looking for...

...and even have some fun along the way.

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Google Will Solve Your Kids' Math Homework. That's a Good Thing.

Here's the perfect tool for the homeschooling era.

• The tool is powered by optical character recognition (OCR), which uses scanning and artificial intelligence.
• The ability to check work is a gamechanger for families facing emergency homeschooling.

Google has announced a new technology, powered by an acquisition called Socratic, that will let students take photos of their math homework in order to get the solutions. Google says it wants the Lens-powered technology to help parents and caretakers who are homeschooling, likely for the first time, as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Google's search engine is already crammed with autosuggestions that you can tell are seeking homework answers. When you search for a classic novel, the related searches are always things like “Darcy house name” or “Meaning of dance scene.” Math is harder to Google because of the array of symbols the average person doesn’t know how to type, and people’s math anxiety to begin with makes it more difficult to measuredly seek out what they need.

➡ You love numbers. So do we. Let's nerd out over numbers together.

The specific Google Lens integration doesn’t have a set release date, but Socratic is already available for people to download and use. Using Socratic, students can examine a variety of different subjects, but the robust math functionality really stands out—and took six more months to develop . The app uses artificial intelligence to recommend more and more relevant resources and tutorials to students.

Socratic uses optical character recognition (OCR), whose scope begins with simple scanning of documents using letter “patterns.” Older OCR users may remember the days when “cl” often became “d,” for example, and cheaper or more primitive OCR can still conflate characters this way. More advanced OCR began to consider the same factors as spellcheck or grammar check, using context of entire words or phrases.

Several layers of functionality are happening when a photograph of handwritten math homework is turned into a solution or a resource list. Without peeking behind the scenes of Socratic in particular, we can still explore what’s going on using generalized logic from computing and programming.

First, the OCR is turning handwriting into digitized content—that means addressing a squashed or tilted addition sign, for example, and recognizing that the common “x” used for multiplication by lower level math students is an operator, not a letter or algebra “x.” Then the software must store each part of the mathematical phrase as a separate variable that can be acted on.

In many languages, numbers are “primitive” variables, to use the programming term. Basically, the number can be directly stored as itself without requiring an intermediary bookmark, compared with what’s next: storing the idea of an addition operator. (This is very simplified, and some languages choose to store numbers another way. Large numbers are also handled differently from small ones.)

Once all the pieces are considered separate and usable, the programming must do the intended math to get the correct answer and compare that back to what your photograph actually depicts. Even calculators have surprising computing ability in the form of things like order of operations, but for a long time this was not a given. Today, the absolute cheapest calculator you can buy can do square roots and even store values for you .

If you can't believe Google will just do your kids' homework for them, then you haven't been paying attention to how children have used Google for at least 15 years, let alone graphing calculators that have had capacity to solve at least some functions since 1998 . But adding robust technique and tutorial support is a great new angle that should hopefully help parents and tutors feel empowered to walk kids through any math problems they encounter.

Caroline Delbert is a writer, avid reader, and contributing editor at Pop Mech. She's also an enthusiast of just about everything. Her favorite topics include nuclear energy, cosmology, math of everyday things, and the philosophy of it all. 

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Google Lens is getting a 'homework' filter to help kids solve math problems

What you need to know

• Google is rolling out a few new tools to help students learn at home.
• Kids will soon be able to take a photo of a math problem or equation and get step-by-step guides on how to solve them.
• Google has also added 100 STEM-related 3D objects that students can view using compatible Android and iOS devices.

Google has introduced a few new digital learning tools to help students at home. The new tools can help kids with their homework and enable parents to track their kids' progress and also keep them safe online.

Jennifer Holland, Director of Program Management, Education, wrote in a blog post :

When a student turns to Google Search for help with STEM homework this fall, Search will connect them to potential explanations, a step-by-step breakdown for complex math equations and detailed information on the underlying concepts, like the notorious pythagorean theorem. These features help improve comprehension and understanding of core topics. 

Kids will soon be able to use Google Lens to take a photo of a math problem or equation and access step-by-step guides to solve it and better understand the key concepts with the help of detailed explainers. The feature will be powered by the mobile learning app Socratic, which Google acquired in August last year. Weirdly, however, Google hasn't revealed exactly when the feature will begin rolling out.

In addition to the new filter on Google Lens, the search giant has also added 3D content for 100 STEM concepts across biology, chemistry, and more. Students can access the STEM-related 3D objects on Google Search using ARCore-compatible Android and iOS devices.

The blog post also talks about a few other useful learning tools that Google is now offering. Read Along , which was originally launched in India as "Bolo," can help kids develop a love of reading. With guardian summaries , parents can easily track their child's overall progress while they learn at home. Parents can also use Family Bell on smart speakers and smart displays to add bell reminders that announce when it is time to start a class or take a break.

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How To Use Google Lens for Homework Help!

Google Lens is an AI-powered tool that helps you find what you're looking for faster. It works by analyzing images on the web and suggests relevant results. In this tutorial, we'll show you how to use Google Lens for Homework Help. From a simple math problem to a complicated algebra equation, to history, chemistry, biology, physics, and much more, you can get help from Google Lens. Keep reading and we will show you step-by-step instructions on how to use Google Lens for homework help .

If you have an android phone or iPad, you can download Google Lens directly from google play. But if you use an iPhone, then you can use google lens through Google app.

For android phones and iPad

1. Download google lens on your phone or iPad.

2. Open google lens on your phone or iPad. If it is the first time you are using google lens, you would need to give permission to google lens to access your camera.

3. At the bottom of the screen, choose "homework".

4. Aim your camera at your math problem or any question on your homework and google homework will quickly find explainers, videos, and results from the web for your math problem or your question.

Google Lens is not available on iPhone yet, but you can use the Google app to use google lens features.

1. Download the google app on your iPhone

2. Open the google app on your iPhone. If it is the first time you are using the google app, you would need to give permission to Google to access your camera.

3. On the Home screen, click on the camera icon in the top right corner. This will take you to the Google Lens.

4. At the bottom of the screen, choose "homework".

5. Aim your camera at your math problem or any question on your homework and google homework will quickly find explainers, videos, and results from the web for your math problem or your question.

The google lens can also help you identify objects, plants, animals, building, or any other objects by aiming the camera at them.

You need to type a handwritten note? No worries, just aim the camera to your handwritten note, and it will convert it to text. All you need to do is copy and paste it to your notes or your word on your phone or iPad.

If you love this article, click the like button, and leave a comment to see more articles like this!

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How Google Lens Can Help to Finish Homework Quickly

Finishing homework within time is cumbersome for many students, even in the virtual classes. As a part of Google’s plan to help students with their education right from home, the Google Lens app now comes in handy with a homework tool. With this, students can finish homework fast without any trouble.

Let us see how is it possible to get homework done faster with the help of the Google Lens app.

Get Homework Done with Google Lens

Google Lens has tons of tools to help you with everyday things. From scanning documents to copying a written text to PC , there is a lot you could do with Google’s tool. Among them, the Homework option stands out with the best resources on the internet to help students with their homework.

• On Android, open the Google Lens app.
• If you are on the iPhone, open the Google app, and tap the Lens icon.
• From the bottom, tap “ Homework ” on the right.
• Point your phone camera to the mathematical problem to be solved .
• Tap the capture button and select the question part to search for the solution.

After capturing your homework using Google Lens, it will show you all possible solutions picked from the internet. It includes possible answers, key concepts, and similar problems you can check out.

Related:  10 Best Educational Apps for Students to Learn from Home

Google Lens also shows step by step solution for certain homework problems. With all these, students can now easily finish homework fast using the Google Lens on the smartphone.

Disclosure: Mashtips is supported by its audience. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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18 Tips and Tricks to Use Google Lens like a Pro

When Google Lens started, it could identify flowers, animals, plants, things, and some other things with reasonable accuracy when you pointed your camera at it. It is used to search for anything in the world around you to quickly find more info on it. But since then, Google has added a long list of features to the Google Lens. Instead of just searching for information about the objects around you, here’s everything you can do with the help of Google Lens on smartphones and also on desktops.

How to Use Google Lens Like a Pro

Let’s start with something small but meaningful. But before moving on, download Google Lens for Android and iOS .

1. Scan Barcodes and QR Codes

These days, native camera apps from iPhone and Samsung have barcode scanners built-in. But that’s not the case with all Android phones. Instead of downloading some QR scanner app, you can use Google Lens app to quickly scan any barcode or QR Code.

You don’t have to switch to any special mode on the Lens app either. Just open Google Lens and point your camera at the barcode to scan it automatically.

2. Copy Text from the Real World

You can use Google Lens to quickly copy text from anywhere. You just have to open the Google Lens app and change the mode of the lens to text. Now when you point your camera at any text, you will be able to select the text like you do on a webpage. Once selected, tap on the copy Text option to copy the selected text.

In fact, not just in the world around but you can even select any image on your phone to copy text directly from it.

3. Translate any Text in Real-Time

Another major feature of Google Lens is translation. When you find any book, signboard, or text anywhere in a language that you are not familiar with, use Google Lens to quickly translate the text. The best part is that you don’t even have to know the language you are looking for. The lens can auto-identify the language and translate it into a language that you would understand.

Open the Google Lens app and select the Translate mode at the bottom. Now point the camera at the text that you need to translate. Google Lens will auto-detect the text’s language and convert it into the language that you know. Anyhow, you can manually change both from and to languages on the lens itself. Similarly, you can also translate text in an image. If you select and tap on the copy option now, you will be able to copy the translated text.

4. Listen to Papers and Books

Apart from copying and translating text, you can instead try listening to it. You can use this feature in many situations. For example, instead of reading a book, you can just scan the book’s page and choose to listen to it. In fact, you can choose the translate option and then listen to the translated text if you want to.

Open the Google Lens app, select the text mode, and scan any text with it. Once scanned, you can select the Listen option to listen to text in the frame. Similarly, you can also select the translate option and select the Listen option to listen to the translated text.

5. Send Text to Desktop

Instead of copying the text, you can actually send the text that you have scanned to the desktop. If you are typing on the desktop and quickly want to add a quote that you read in a book, the easiest and fastest way is to simply scan the text and select the option Copy to computer . It will list all computers that you are logged in with your Google Chrome browser. You can just paste it by pressing Ctrl+V or by selecting the Paste option in the right-click menu.

You can only do that if you have Google Chrome installed on your computer and logged in with your Google account.

6. Save Calendar Events

You can scan anything with a date and time involved like an invitation card. When you select a text with date and time, Google Lens will directly give you an option to add a calendar event. When you tap on it, you will be redirected to Google calendar where you just enter the event name and save it.

Lens can easily understand the date and time written in different formats from April 12th, 2022 to 12.4.22.

7. Save Contacts from Business Cards

Saving contacts is even more seamless than saving a calendar event as Google Lens can pick up all the contact details like name, number, email id, location, etc., and fill it up instantly. Also, you don’t have to select any text here. As soon as the Lens identifies it as a business card, it suggests adding the contact with a small white dot on the name of the contact. Taping on it will provide a one-click option to save the contact.

All the details will be added to your default Contacts app.

8. Call/Email Any Contact

Whenever you see a billboard or banner and want to call the number, look no further. Google Lens has got you covered. Instead of entering the phone number manually in the phone app, open Google Lens and scan the billboard or anywhere you see a phone number. Then tap on the phone number on the scanned image to get an option to call the number.

Tapping on it will open the Phone app with the number already entered. You can do the same with the email. Just scan and select their email id to start sending them an email.

9. Complete Homework

Google Lens has a dedicated homework mode for solving math problems. You just have to point your camera lens towards a math equation. Google Lens will scan the question and display the results. You can take a look at the overview or even ask for steps to solve the problem. This feature is a bit of a hit or miss for some questions and only works with math as of now even though it says homework.

10. Shop Anything You See

Google Lens also has a shopping option which you can select and point the camera on anything. The lens will scan it and provide you with links to buy that item. If you do not know the name of the item, you can buy the same product with the same or a similar design. It works with almost everything from clothes, home decor, electronics, spare parts, kitchen utensils, and even tools.

11. Multi-Search

Multi-search expands the features of Google Lens to a whole new level. It allows you to search with both images and text at the same time. For example, you can scan any electronic product and add the text How to use it to refine the text, scan an orange dress and add the text green to find the same dress in green color, and so on.

With multi-search, instead of just scanning and viewing results, you can add text queries to refine search results better.

12. Use Lens on Google Photos

Lens is integrated into the Google Photos app, so you don’t have to download the image, and open it with Google Lens to scan it. When viewing photos in Google photos, you will get a lens icon at the bottom. Tap on it to instantly start scanning with Google Lens. Once scanning begins, you can change the Lens mode from search to text, translate, do homework, or shopping.

13. Use Lens on Google Search

While all the previous methods only work on mobile apps, you can actually use the Google Lens on the desktop too.

To access, search anything on Google, hop on to the images section and open any image. Here you should find the Lens icon on the image at the top right. Clicking on it will perform a Google Lens search instead of a normal Google Image search. Anyhow, many features like shopping, text, etc. do not work on the desktop yet.

14. Use Lens on Google Chrome

The above method only works on the Google Images page. But if you are using Google Chrome browser on your desktop, you can use Google Lens on any image. Just right-click on the image and select the Search with Google Lens option. It will launch Google Lens in the right sidebar.

The browser-integrated Lens is a bit more feature-packed than Google Search integrated one as you can copy and translate text as well.

On the smartphone, long-press and select the Search with Google Lens option. This will directly open the image in the Google Lens app, so you get every feature that Google Lens supports.

15. Find Best Dishes on Restaurant’s Menu

When you are in a restaurant, open Google Lens and change it to Dining mode. Now when you scan their menu, Lens will highlight the best dishes they serve. Google aggregates this info from the reviews people have left on that restaurant.

16. Find NearBy Restaurants

Also, when you are in dining mode, you can scan any dish directly or from a photo. Then add Nearby in the multi-search. This will help you find a restaurant nearby that is selling a similar dish.

17. Ctrl+F the World Around You

Scene exploration is a new feature introduced recently. Instead of showing one item and asking questions about it, with this feature, you can ask any query by showing scans of multiple objects and Google Lens will highlight results according to your needs.

For example, when you are in a shopping mall and ask Google Lens to show nut-free chocolates by scanning all the chocolates in a row, Lens will scan and display results for which chocolate to choose.

18. Use Google Lens Mode From Camera App

Finally, Lens is now integrated into many other third-party camera apps from OEMs like OnePlus and MIUI. All you have to do is change the mode to Google Lens mode. Anyhow, it can search, text, translate, scan QR codes, etc, but you cannot change the mode manually and some features like shopping, homework, etc. also do not work.

Looking Through The Google Lens

Google Lens enables a new visual style of searching online. With that, it provides many features like copy-paste text, translation, saving contacts, etc. along with the ability to search anything online without even knowing its name. Using Google Lens with Google Search and Google Assistant will give you the option to search in new and interesting ways. Along with Google Lens tricks, you should also check some Google Assistant tricks .

Ravi Teja KNTS

From coding websites to crafting how-to guides, my journey from a computer science engineer to a tech writer has been fueled by a passion for making technology work for you. I've been writing about technology for over 3 years at TechWiser, with a portfolio of 700 articles related to AI, Google apps, Chrome OS, Discord, and Android. When I'm not demystifying tech, you can find me engrossed in a classic film – a true cinephile at heart.

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Search what you see with Lens

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Lens is available on all your devices and in your favorite apps

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Lens is also available in the Camera app of select Android devices.

Shopping results in Lens are available in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, and United States.

More ways to search

You can now use Google Lens with your voice to search. Here's how - and why it's so useful

Google Lens is an enormously useful  image recognition tool that lets you identify plants, digitize notes, translate signs, investigate deepfakes , find a product online, get homework help, and more. Since 2022, its multisearch option has let you ask further questions about an image it identified. If you took a picture of a dress, for example, and the app found it for sale online, you could type "green" to find the dress in that color.

Now, Google Lens can listen in addition to seeing -- you can ask for more info or add context to a search with your voice.

To use the new voice search, just hold the Lens shutter button down instead of tapping it.

Also:  How you can use Google Maps to track wildfires and air quality

Android journalist Mishaal Rahman demonstrated the feature in a post on X . Pointing his phone at a plate of blueberries, Rahman presses and holds the Lens shutter button. A voice prompt appears and asks, "Speak now to ask about this image." When Rahman audibly asks how many blueberries are in the picture, a Google search appears with the correct answer.

You can now use your voice to add context to searches in Google Lens! Press and hold on the shutter button in Lens, and it'll say "speak now to ask about this image." After speaking your question, let go of the button and Google Gemini will attempt to provide an answer. pic.twitter.com/uHkgjNQOog — Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) August 5, 2024

According to  Android Police , the feature has been in the works since earlier this year, so it appears Google is rolling it out to the public pretty quickly. If you're not seeing it, make sure you have the latest version of Google Lens.

Also: 3 ways Google just supercharged your Chrome browser with AI

The option was available on my Google Pixel 8 when I looked for it, and it worked well when I tried it out. I pointed it at a pumpkin plant I have growing in my backyard for Halloween, held the search button, and asked, "How long does it take this plant to grow fruit?"

Had I used Lens the traditional way, Google would have identified the plant as a pumpkin, but finding out more would have required typing in a Google search. With this new feature, however, Gemini identified the pumpkin and told me correctly that it takes 90 to 120 days until the plant produces fruit. 

This update comes just a week after Google made  several improvements  to Google Search, including adding its  "About this image"  contextualizing feature to Circle to Search and Google Lens.

3 ways Google just supercharged your Chrome browser with AI - and they're surprisingly useful

16 incredibly useful things alexa can do on amazon echo, this simple (and actually useful) ai tool is my favorite new pixel feature (it's in ios 18, too).

Google Deactivates Russia-Based AdSense Accounts

The move comes amid 'ongoing developments in Russia,' according to Google, which will release all pending payments by the end of the month.

Google is deactivating the AdSense accounts of all its Russia-based users, Reuters reports .

AdSense is an advertising platform that allows creators and bloggers on all Google platforms, including YouTube, to make money by displaying targeted ads. Although Google reduced ads for users in Russia in 2022, creators from Russia continued to make money off YouTube and other platforms by displaying ads on their channels and websites in foreign countries.

Citing ongoing tensions between Google and Russia, the tech giant has decided to stop AdSense in the country. "Due to ongoing developments in Russia, we will no longer be able to make payments to Russia-based AdSense accounts that have been able to continue monetizing traffic outside of Russia," a Google spokesperson told Reuters. "As a result, we will be deactivating these accounts effective August 2024."

Google notified Russian AdSense users about the deactivation in an email sent via Google Payments on Monday. 

"We are deactivating all AdSense accounts with Russia as their country of location. This means that you will no longer be able to receive monetization income through these accounts," the translated email says.

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Further in the email, Google informed users that all pending AdSense income would be transferred to their accounts between Aug. 21 and Aug. 26, provided payments aren't paused on the AdSense account and it has met all payment thresholds. Any remaining balance after these dates will be transferred within the next 60 days, Google added.

The move comes days after Russian authorities slowed down YouTube speeds in the region by up to 70% in retaliation for the Google-owned company's alleged " anti-Russia policy ." 

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About Jibin Joseph

Contributor.

Jibin is a tech news writer based out of Ahmedabad, India. Previously, he served as the editor of iGeeksBlog and is a self-proclaimed tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex information for a broader audience.

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• Google event: Everything announced
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• Crowdtangle is dead: Here's why
• Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Hands-on
• Anker earbuds for $49

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• Smartphones

The Google Pixel 9, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and everything else announced at the Made by Google Pixel launch event

New gemini ai features are front and center in google's new pixel phones..

August used to be a relatively sleepy month for tech news — no longer! Now that Google scooted up its annual October Pixel event by two months, the tech world is abubble, going over everything execs announced from Mountain View, California at the Made By Google keynote on Tuesday.

The Pixel 9 launch event came with enthusiastic introductions for all the hardware we expected , including the new Pixel 9 and its sizable camera bump . The Pixel 9 Pro and the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL made their official debut, too, and the new foldable, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, does indeed measure just 0.4 inches thick. The new Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2 have now been revealed, as were plenty of software features, mostly in the form of Gemini integrations. One surprise was the not-loudly-stated fact that Pixel 9 Phones won't launch with the Android 15 operating system — they'll have Android 14 to start. For the play-by-play, you can check out our liveblog or check out Google's stream . If you just want the highlights, here's everything announced at the 2024's Made by Google Pixel event.

Google Pixel 9

What you first notice about Google's latest Pixel 9 is the redesigned look. The camera band has been replaced with oblong oval that stands proud from a slab that's about a tenth of an inch thinner than the Pixel 8 . The screen size has bumped back up to 6.3 inches, after dipping to 6.2 inches on the Pixel 8, and is covered in Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. It's got a polished glass back with satin metal finishes on the frame and cameras.

Speaking of cameras, there's the same number as last year (two in the back, one in the front) but the previous generation's 12 MP ultrawide lens has been replaced with a 48 MP ultrawide lens. The other two cameras have the same specs, except the front cam now has autofocus for better selfies. To take advantage of those fancy sensors, new AI photography enhancements like Add Me and Reimagine join the existing Magic Editor, Night Sight and Best Take features.

The Pixel 9 houses the same Tensor G4 chip, designed to be better at everyday tasks, while using up less battery. That's the same chip as its more expensive siblings and now the base model Pixel comes with 12GB of memory, eliminating the option of an 8GB model. That extra RAM will help handle the many Gemini integrations coming standard in Android 15. Pressing and holding the power button will overlay the assistant on whatever you're doing on-screen and can answer questions, pull details from other apps, and produce contextualized recommendations based on images you take.

Engadget's Sam Rutherford spent some time hands-on with the Pixel 9 family of phones and so far, likes what he sees, noting that the new designs "look great" and the AI tools and features are shaping up to be useful iterations on what can otherwise seem like a buzzy bandwagon add-on.

The Pixel 9 comes with 7 years of OS and security updates and is available in Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen and Peony. Its starts at $799 for 128GB of storage and is now open for pre-orders and all Pixel 9 phones will hit the shelves August 22.

Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL

Those not content with a standard-issue phone can opt for the Pixel 9 Pro or the Pixel 9 Pro XL instead . Notably this year, the Pro moniker doesn't necessarily mean bigger; the Pixel 9 Pro is the same size as the regular Pixel 9, both with 6.3-inch screens. Google created a new category in its lineup with the Pixel 9 Pro XL — a phone with the the same general specs as the Pro model but with a larger, 6.8-inch display and a 5,060 mAh battery (versus the 4,700 mAh battery on the smaller version).

All three Pixel 9 models use the same Google Tensor G4 processor, but the two Pro phones have 16GB of RAM on hand to execute AI tricks and any other task you might demand from them. You can get either phone with 128GB of storage or a full terabyte. The Pro models also pack an additional 48 MP telephoto lens in the back and a heftier 42 MP selfie camera up front.

Both come with a year's subscription to the Google One AI Premium Plan which lets you access all of the tricks Gemini can do — after the free trial, you'll need to pay $20 monthly (the plan also comes with 2TB of storage).

The Pixel 9 Pro starts at $999 and the Pixel 9 Pro XL starts at $1,099. Both come in the same four colors: Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazel and Rose Quartz, and include a promised seven years of security and features updates. Like everything announced at the event, the phones are now open to pre-orders and will be on store shelves August 22.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

Google pixel 9 pro, google pixel 9 pro fold.

We now officially know that Google's second foldable phone is not called the Pixel Fold 2, but rather the Pixel 9 Pro Fold . To go along with the enlarged name, there's a bigger, eight-inch inner screen, making it the largest on any phone out there. The outer screen is larger too, measuring 6.3 inches, up from 5.8 inches last year. Google claims the interior screen is 80 percent brighter than its predecessor and now maxes out at 2,700 nits.

A persistent complaint with foldables is how heavy and bulky they can feel. Google hopes a few design tweaks will help with that. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold now measures just 0.4 inches when closed, making it the thinnest foldable on the market (as long as you don't count the sizable camera bump) and at 257g it's about 25 grams lighter than the Pixel Fold.

The new foldable houses Google's Tensor G4 chip, comes standard with 16GB of RAM and offers your choice of 256GB or 512GB of storage. Like every piece of 2024 Pixel hardware, the 9 Pro Fold is tailored around Google's Gemini AI contrivances. Pressing the power button brings up the assistant, which you can use in split screen on the foldable. The phone also comes with a year of the One AI Premium plan, which jumps to $20 per month afterwards.

The three exterior cameras include a wide, ultrawide and telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and up to 20x Super Res Zoom. There's a 10 MP camera on both the interior and on the front of the exterior screen. And, thanks to the foldable nature of the phone you can take selfies using the more powerful rear cameras by checking out the preview of the shot on the exterior screen.

We've already spent a little time with the new foldable and so far, like what we see. It's thinner than Z Fold 6 but packs a larger interior screen. And the AI tools the foldable enables actually seem useful.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold costs the same $1,799 as the 2023 model and comes in either Obsidian or Porcelain. It too is now available for pre-order and will hit stores September 4.

Google Pixel Watch 3

Last year we said the Pixel Watch 2 was " catching up to its rivals ," but still took issue with the disjointed Fitbit integration and the lack of wireless charging. Fitbit is still very much a part of the Pixel Watch 3 experience and charging still requires a cable — our full review will tell us whether those are dealbreakers or not.

The watch now comes in two sizes, with a larger 45mm case size joining the 41mm model. Thanks to thinner bezels, the 41mm display is 10 percent larger than on the Pixel Watch 2 and the 45mm screen is 40 percent larger. Both screens peak at 2,000 nits, which is twice as bright as 2023's watch, and both get as dim as 1 nit.

There's a new readiness score and cardio load tracking, which sounds a bit like the Training Load feature in Apple's watchOS 11 — all of which give you feedback on how hard you're pushing yourself. New integrations include displaying a live feed of your Nest cams from your watch and using the wearable as a Google TV remote. The battery offers the same 24 hours of use on a charge, but Google claims recharging will be 20 percent quicker with a 30-watt wall adapter (sold separately). Call Assist will add the "hold a minute" ability, which can answer your call and ask the caller to wait until you're in a better spot or have set down whatever you're working on.

The heart rate tracking has been updated to work more accurately while running, an activity that's particularly hard to track. Readiness score and Cardio Load combine to give you a Daily Readiness score, which tells you how intense you should work out in a given day.

The "first of its kind" Loss of Pulse Detection feature will automatically call emergency services and direct them to your location if the algorithm detects a dangerous situation judging by your pulse, movement and other metrics. It will start out in select EU countries and parts of the UK, with more regions to come.

The 41mm Pixel Watch 3 retails for $349 for WiFi only and $449 with LTE. The 45mm model goes for $399 or $499 if you get cellular connectivity. Both come in your choice of black or silver, with an added hazel hue for the larger case size. You can pre-order them now and the watches will be on the shelves on September 10.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

Despite being smaller and lighter, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 somehow manage to pack an extra hour of battery life compared to the Pixel Buds Pro , now getting up to 12 hours of play with noise cancellation off. The Silent Seal feature is back and now should reduce twice as much noise as before. Plus they'll support Spatial audio with head tracking — but only when paired with a Pixel 6 or newer phone or a Pixel Tablet.

The Tensor chip inside, the first in a pair of Google earbuds, enables the new features and the company claims it can process audio significantly faster in order to adapt to your environment. And thanks to multi-path processing, noise-cancellation computations don't happen on the same channel as the audio, so the music you hear is unaltered.

New "twist-to-adjust" stabilizers should keep the buds in place when you're working out, but can be rotated in the other direction for a more comfortable feel. Conversation Detection is back, meaning you won't have to pull out a bud when you need to talk to someone — instead the music pauses when you start speaking and resumes when you're done. The Buds claim to be the lightest noise cancelling earbuds in their class.

And of course, Gemini is built-in. You can do things like ask for walking directions or access your email. It also supports Gemini Live, which Google's Sandeep Waraich demonstrated on stage by using the prompt "Let's talk live." Gemini suggested things like breathing techniques to stay calm in a crowd and tips on how to approach a person they admire.

The Pixel Buds 2 Pro are available to pre-order now and will be on shelves on September 26. They come in Porcelain, Hazel, Wintergreen and Peony, and are selling for $229, which is $29 more than the Pixel Buds Pro were at launch.

Google Pixel Screenshot app

The new Pixel Screenshot app is only available on Pixel 9 phones at launch (no word yet on wider availability) and uses Gemini Nano (the on-board AI model) to save, extract and organize info you might otherwise forget the origin of. For example, you can take a screenshot of an Instagram post about a music festival and the AI will give you a summary as well as buttons to do things like add dates to your calendar the next time you access that screenshot from the app. A screenshot of a restaurant should produce options to call the business or navigate there via Google Maps.

Google says you should also be able to ask natural questions using the microphone, and Pixel Screenshots will either answer it outright and bring up relevant annotated images. The app launches today, along with everything else and while it's reminiscent of Apple's redesigned Photos app , we'll have to try it for ourselves to really suss out all the differences.

Android 15 and Gemini AI

The one thing we expected that didn't come into play was the launch of Android 15 — we heard a little about the new operating system during May's Google I/O event . But now we know it's not coming right away. New Pixel Phones will launch with Android 14. The Google execs didn't hit that fact very hard, but a look at the Pixel 9 spec sheet confirms it. It's possible the new OS simply wasn't ready for a bumped up release date, as the hardware was, and Android 15 may very well be sticking with its October launch date. We won't be surprised to see the OS drop later this fall.

When it comes, Android 15 will, unsurprisingly, revolve around giving Gemini the reigns and letting Google's AI do your bidding. But all of those AI features will still be available when the phones launch, even if they're running Android 14.

Google has revamped its Assistant around Gemini. Google hardware Chief Rick Osterloh said, "It's the biggest leap forward since we launched Google Assistant." And Google promises that the assistant won't just be for fancy new flagship devices, but existing mid-range ones as well — and not just Google phones, but all Android phones. Some of the event's live demos were performed on Samsung and Motorola handsets (although there were a few hiccups). President of Android, Sameer Samat, called Gemini the "most widely available AI Assistant."

Gemini can be pulled up over whatever app you're using and answer your questions about what's on screen. Circle to Share lets you quickly send whatever you happen to be looking at to your contacts with just a couple taps.

You can now also ask Gemini to access files in your Drive or messages in your Gmail account to generate text-based content like bios, workout plans or itineraries. To keep your personal details private, requests involving the most sensitive info are handled by Gemini Nano, an AI model that lives on your phone.

Other examples included asking Gemini to create a list of the foods a YouTuber ate in a video and then adding those to a list. Or asking it to create a playlist described by vibes. With Gemini Live, you get a few new voices, including Dipper, Ursa and Vega. Gemini Live hits hard on the conversational aspect, and the responses did indeed sound natural — especially when you don't have to keep saying "hey Google."

Pixel Weather, Call Notes, Made You Look

Pixel Weather, a redesigned weather app for the Pixel 9 family, comes with a handy AI summary and is completely customizable. Call Notes can give you an AI-powered summary of a call after you hang up. You can even review the full transcript. For privacy, the transcriptions and summaries are taken care of on-device instead of sending it to the cloud. Of course it's completely optional.

Other features revealed in Mountain View include the Add Me feature in photos — which NBA All Star Jimmy Butler came on stage to demonstrate. The AI trick allows the photographer to be in the shot by taking one photo without them, and then another with them in place, then AI merges the photos, ensuring reality's increasing subjectivity.

Pixel Studio can create images using text prompts and suggestions for different styles fonts. Google's Alexander Schiffhauer noted that thanks to RCS coming to iPhone , these and other images will appear the same for everyone in text message conversations.

On the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the Made You Look feature will get your toddler to look at the camera and smile by displaying fun cartoon characters on the exterior screen while you take the image with the rear camera. Magic Editor combines classic photo editing with AI interpretations and generative AI capabilities so you can, for instance, add wildflowers and a hot air balloon to an image you took where the grass was boring and the sky was clear.

We also got a quick look at where Google's research in AI is leading. Google hardware Chief Rick Osterloh told us that Gemini will continue to evolve, particularly through integration with Project Astra, Google's deep mind research prototype, which was demonstrated back at I/O earlier this year. The goal is an even more natural and context-aware assistant, allowing Gemini Live to understand your questions and pics to help you get things done, such as homework, brainstorming and more complex tasks like how to open a business.

Catch up on all the news from Google’s Pixel 9 launch event right here !

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