Access and Use Google Lens on Desktop

ByJim Miller

Google Lens is a powerful tool that allows you to search for information, translate text, and scan QR codes using your smartphone camera. However, the Google Lens app is not available on desktop like it is on Android and iOS. But don't worry, we have some tricks for you to access and use Google Lens on your desktop.

What Is Google Lens

Google Lens is like a visual search engine. Instead of using text to search for something, you can use your camera or photos to search for anything in the frame. It can also extract text, translate languages in real life, and even help you shop for something. While the desktop version of Google Lens isn't as feature-rich as the mobile version, it can still be used to extract text and find similar images.

Access and Use Google Lens on Desktop

There are several ways you can access and use Google Lens on your desktop.

Google Images

Google Lens is integrated into the Google Images page, allowing you to search for anything inside an image. Simply search for something on Google and open the Images tab. Then, select an image you want to scan using Google Lens. Click on the Google Lens icon at the bottom left corner of the image. Google Lens will scan the image and show you visually matching images. You can also adjust the borders in the image to search for something specific.

Google Chrome

Google Lens is not enabled by default on the Chrome browser, but you can enable it by following these steps:

  1. Open the Chrome browser and type chrome://flags in the address bar.
  2. Search for enable-lens-standalone in the search box.
  3. Select the “Enabled” option from the drop-down menu.
  4. Click on the “Relaunch” option to restart the browser.

Once enabled, you can right-click on any image on any webpage and select the “Search image with Google” option. This will open a sidebar with information and visually matching images. You can also select the “Text” option to copy and translate text in the image.

Google Photos

Google Lens is integrated into the Google Photos app but is limited to extracting text from images. If you open an image in Google Photos that has text, Google Photos will suggest the “Copy text from the image” option. Click on it to copy the text. You can also right-click on an image and select the “Search image with Google” option to search for visually matching images.

Using Google Lens on desktop may not have all the features available on the mobile app, but it still provides useful functionality for extracting text and finding visually similar images.

Remember to enable the necessary flags in Chrome or use the integrated features in Google Images and Google Photos to access and use Google Lens on your desktop.