Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR Google has simplified the Lens interface even more.
However, the refreshed UI removes the Homework feature, supposedly to promote Gemini for cognitive tasks like helping with learning.
Google Lens recently also received support for AI Mode for more descriptive search results.
In recent months, Google has been shifting its focus away from Google Lens as it upgrades its visual search features using Gemini’s AI or Circle to Search. And now, it is bringing subtle changes to Google Lens for a cleaner look, but also limiting its features.
A new user interface (UI) has begun rolling out to Google Lens on Android, replacing the buttons at the bottom. Now, you only get the options for Search and Translate, while the previous option for Homework has been taken away, presumably to push users towards Gemini for homework and learning-related queries as it is better equipped for those tasks.
Old Google Lens UI Updated Google Lens UI
The viewfinder now also extends to the entirety of the screen, giving it a more modern and seamless look. My colleague Mishaal Rahman spotted this new interface on at least two phones, one of them being the newly launched Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Along with this improved interface, the search experience in Google Lens was also recently upgraded, such that Lens can now be used to access Google’s AI Mode while using the Search option. While the AI Mode is currently limited to folks in the US and India, users in other regions get AI overviews in Google Lens search results. Meanwhile, to ensure people don’t abandon Lens if they can’t — or don’t — use Gemini, Google also added a search feature for videos using Lens.
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