Search with video now available on Google Lens
Google has launched an upgrade to Google Lens which allows users to search using a video clip. It also allows users to combine photos or videos with voice searching.
Combining Google Lens with Gemini AI, users can now open the app to search with a video of up to 20 seconds long accompanied by a spoken question. In a blog post, Google likened it to “the same way you’d point at something and ask your friend about it.”
This expands on new generative artificial intelligence (AI) integration that Google launched earlier this year when they brought an AI Overview to search results. The feature was first announced earlier this year during Google’s May I/O conference.
The example given by Google is being in an aquarium. Using Google Lens to record a short video of some fish and asking out loud the question “Why are they swimming together” will theoretically yield an informative result about fish behavior.
Over the years, we’ve expanded Search so you can ask a question in many ways — from typing a query to humming a tune.
Today, we're introducing even more new AI-powered ways to search what you see and hear. Learn more ↓ https://t.co/MHZCqo1ujX
— Google (@Google) October 3, 2024
How do you search with video on Google Lens?
It’s very simple to use the new search with video feature on Google Lens.
- Open up the Google Lens app
- Instead of tapping the shutter button to take an image to search, hold it down to record
- While recording, ask your question out loud
- Release the button and Google’s systems will make sense of the video and the question together
- Results will include an AI overview and resources from across the web
According to Google, Lens queries are one of the fastest-growing query types, particularly with 18-24 year olds. In addition, this feature is helping to drive more users to Lens as they discover how useful the new search tools are.
The ability to search with video on Lens is live now and as a new feature, it’s still not clear what its limits are. Lens still can’t identify audio in videos, for example. It is likely to be most useful for people who are on the go and can’t stop to write a search query. Further testing will show the extent to which Gemini can understand complex videos and provide useful and relevant results.
Featured image credit: Google
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