Google Lens can now record a video and answer questions based on it

Google Lens is getting a major update and now supports video recording. Users can use this feature to capture videos about objects and places they want to quickly search for on the Internet. The feature was first unveiled at Google I/O earlier this year and leverages the capabilities of the company’s internal artificial intelligence model, Gemini. The feature is also integrated with AI overviews, so it may not be available in the regions where the AI-powered search experience is not available.

Google Lens gets video recording capabilities

Gadgets 360 employees discovered the feature in the Google Lens interface. Previously, Google Lens only let users capture an image and offered tools like translation, image search, and homework that let you look up a math problem and find a solution to it online.

While the feature was useful for quickly translating street signs into a foreign language and looking up the name of a flower, it also had limitations. Users could not search for a moving object or perform a detailed search on anything. For example, you cannot take a photo of a table and ask about the type of wood used for it. However, during Google I/O, the Mountain View-based tech giant unveiled a solution to this in the form of short video recording capabilities.

Google Lens with Video now allows users to record a video of approximately 20 seconds and add a verbal prompt for the video. Once the recording is complete, Google Lens uses Gemini-powered AI overviews to search for it using the prompt spoken in the video.

AI Overviews then processes the data using computer vision and provides a response. During our tests, the feature was able to accurately identify moving objects, describing their color and shape, as well as the material used to make them.

This feature is currently rolling out to all users who have access to Google Lens and live in a region where AI Overviews is available. Using the function is simple. Just open the Google Lens interface and in the Search mode, long press the recording icon. The interface will automatically start recording a video.

The user can say whatever they want to know about the video at this point. Once you’re done, Google Lens will automatically open Search in the Google app and AI Overviews will start generating a response. The answer usually appears within two to three seconds.