[techtalk] MOBILE - What You Can Do With the Google Lens App

Thu Nov 9 14:12:54 PST 2023

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Use this app in many ways

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Webinars for You

·    Nov 15: [GOOGLE] Turn Data Into Colorful Dashboards with Google's Looker Studio [3 pm ET for 1 hour]

·    Nov 29: [MOBILE] 10 Things You Can Do with the Google Photo App [3 pm ET for 1 hour]

·    Dec 6: [AI] Web Tools That are Now Using Artificial Intelligence [3 pm ET for 1 hour]

·    Dec 20: [EXCEL] Create a Gantt Chart for Managing Projects and Time [3 pm ET for 1 hour]

·    Jan 10: [SOCIAL MEDIA] Instagram 101... A Beginner's Guide to Social Success [3 pm ET for 1 hour]

·    Jan 24: [ORGANIZE] Desktop Organization - Simplify Your Computer Life [3 pm ET for 1 hour]

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MOBILE - What You Can Do with Google Lens

Intermediate

It seems like every day I learn something new that I can do by just taking a picture of something on my mobile phone's camera. I'm not talking about posting it to social media, texting it to a friend, or editing options ... it's much, much more!

[Google Lens]

Your phone's camera coupled with the Google Lens app can do magical things!

For instance, I can take a picture of a green plant or colorful flower and Google Lens will tell me the name of it! And… it can even point me to a local florist to purchase it.

Or I can point my camera at foreign text, and it will translate it for me.

Wait, don't stop reading because you have an iPhone and think you can't use this app. Google Lens works on both Android and iOS devices.

Before we tell you about a bunch of cool things that Google Lens can do ... and how to use it ... let's learn more about this technology.

[Google lens]
What is Google Lens?

This tool uses visual recognition technology and artificial intelligence to analyze and understand images and objects.

The simplified description of how Google Lens works is: Point your smartphone's camera at something and Google Lens will identify it for you or take action on it.

This technology works by either reading barcodes, QR codes, labels, text, and images. Then it will offer actions like identifying what the image is, offering translation or shopping links, and more.

TIP: Don't confuse Google Lens with Office Lens<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001VCeR56_HqtMgQGXYtcGXGYbluQJ_ipz9vGgFq9pbK1yRZ3Hdz1Hgio8OogmK3akXolq4ybfZb0MtncdOKAgcGHlhr5sKOM9M0DZzAc5g2T9Fq22mqKjrIzgCWhMXU8uKpzw3P9M-NAskdRbjdUMvKQNkdw_xko9f_NR_1_2ANfAREMTI25bfJ2YaeqMphivUKEAvyZmCdgMMKQw_rHOf-w==&c=dxQy5OqBQ54cK1Zx2Lqc-DhsKHkM2ZwZQBRZvOdH7Tg5tmc2fibpUg==&ch=PpBWIq_wQg8DHJhsA-LHBixJvb1lcEE7rXTBRB-9TfiIXXN5NFNO2w==> which is an app that uses your camera to add pictures to insert into OneNote.

[Google Photos App webinar]

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Learn more about Google Lens (and see it live in action) in this upcoming webinar:

"10 Things You Can Do with the Google Photos App"

Wed, November 29th at 3 pm ET

Whether you have an Android or an iPhone, you can use this app to organize, edit and more!

What Can You Do with This App?

Google Lens can do a lot of helpful things. Here are some ways to use it:

[text translation]
·    Image Recognition - Identify objects, landmarks, plants, animals, and more within your photos or through your smartphone's camera. Information about what you're looking at, such as the name of a flower, details about a famous building, or the breed of a dog will be provided.

·    Text Recognition - It can extract and translate text from images, making it useful in translating foreign language signs, saving contact information from a business card, and copying text from a physical document.

·    Product Search - Take a picture of a product or scan a barcode and it provides information including pricing, user reviews, and where to purchase the item online (or different versions of the product).

·    Book Cover - Take a picture of a book cover; get a summary of the content and read reviews.

·    Dining out or Cooking - Point your camera at a menu or a plate of food. Google Lens can provide information about the dishes, including their ingredients and nutritional content.

·    Travel - Focus your camera on your surroundings and details about the area or landmarks can be detected.

·    Create a Calendar Event - Aim your camera at a flyer or invitation and when you focus on the date, Lens can give you an option to "Create a calendar event" in your preferred calendar app. NOTE: This option only works with an Android phone camera.

Next, see the steps for both Android and iOS devices below.

ANDROID: How to GET TO Google Lens

Before we give you the details of how to download and use Lens, know that this tool is integrated into several different Google programs. You can access it in different ways depending on your device type. You can choose what you like best.

For Android devices, Google Lens is available in four different ways:

1.  As a standalone mobile app called Google Lens
2.  Within the Google Photos app
3.  Activated through Google Assistant by saying "Use Google Lens"
4.  And some Android smartphones' cameras

For this article, we're going to focus on using Google Lens from: 1) the Lens app and 2) in Google Photos.

ANDROID: How to DOWNLOAD the Google Lens App

[Google Lens]

Download to Android:

·    If it is not already installed on your device, open the Play Store and search for Google Lens.
·    Download and install the Google Lens app.
·    Open the app and allow it to access your device's camera and photos when prompted.

ANDROID: Using the Google Lens App

[steps]

NOTE: See numbers in the image to the right.

1.  Open the Google Lens app and aim your camera at an object or image and tap the circle shutter button in the center of the screen. Lens will focus on part of the image.
2.  Choose from actions to be taken like Translate, Text, Search, Shopping…
3.  In the area below the image, results will be displayed depending on the action you want taken.

In the image to the right, we focused the camera on a plant and Lens showed the results indicating the plant's name.

For instance, if you select:

·    Translate – you are prompted to select a language and open the Translate app.
·    Text – will extract words from an image. To copy the text, tap and select the words you’d like to copy.
·    Search – will display details about the image or similar photos. Swipe up to see the complete search results.
·    Shopping – gives images of the product and pricing options. Swipe up to see more options.
·    Places – learn more about famous places and monuments when you scan.

iPHONE: How to GET TO Google Lens

For iOS devices, iPhones and iPads, there are two different ways to access Lens:

1.  Download and access Google Lens through the Google Search app
2.  Or, download the Google Photos app (yes, you can use it on an iPhone!)

Below we will give instructions on how to download and use Google Lens from: 1) the Lens or Search app and 2) in Google Photos.

iPHONE: How to DOWNLOAD the Google Lens App

[Google lens]

IMPORTANT: For iOS devices, you won't find a Google "Lens" app, the Lens functions are built into the Google Search app. (You may see similarly named apps, but these are not what we are talking about in this article.)

1.  Open the App Store and search for Google Lens.
2.  Find the Google app that references "Lens" in the description (as in the image to the right).
3.  Download the app and follow the prompts to access your device's camera and photos when prompted.

[open  Google Lens]
iPHONE: Using the Google Lens App

Now that you have the app installed, open the Google Search app.

Find the Lens icon in the right corner of the Search field (it looks like a rectangle with three multicolored lines and a dot). This turns on the camera feature.

Then you can point to things and get info back.

[steps]

Detailed Instructions: See numbers in image.

1.  Aim your camera at an object or image and tap the circle shutter button in the center of the screen. Lens will focus on part of the image.
2.  Choose from actions to be taken like Translate, Text, Search…
3.  In the area below the image, results will be displayed depending on the action you want taken.

In the image to the right, we focused the camera on a plant, and Lens showed the results indicating the plant's name.

For instance, if you select:

·    Translate – you are prompted to select a language and open the Translate app.
·    Text – will extract words from an image. To copy the text, tap and select the words you’d like to copy.
·    Search – will display details about the image or similar photos. Swipe up to see the complete search results.
·    Shopping – gives images of the product and pricing options. Swipe up to see more options.
·    Places – learn more about famous places and monuments when you scan.

BOTH Android and iPhone: Use Google Lens with a Picture You Already Have on Your Camera ... in the Google Photos App

You can use Google Lens with an image that is already saved on your device (like photos and screenshots) from the Google Photos app. Here's how:

1. Download the Google Photos app from the App Store (for iPhone) or Google Play (for Android) if you don't have it already.

2. Open the Google Photos app and navigate to any images on your phone that you want to scan using Google Lens.

3. Tap the Lens icon in the bar at the bottom of the window.

[lens]

4. Make a selection, depending on what you want to do with Lens.

[google Lens]

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Communications: Talking

"Are you open to ..."

I was watching TV one night when Project Runway was on. In case you're not familiar with this show, it features a group of fashion designers competing to be the best and win a big prize.

These folks can be protective of their designs. Yet, at the same time, they are willing to help, especially when someone has a problem.

It was during the show that one of the designers was having trouble and I heard another one ask "Are you open to ..." Wow, I thought, that's a great statement.

What a wonderful way to lead up to a suggestion! It shows respect and warms up the receiver to be receptive to the new idea.

We all like offering ideas to others, right? We see ways we can help and assume the individual will welcome our solutions.

Just remember, before you offer up your thoughts, ask if they are willing to hear them. For example: "Are you open to hearing a suggestion," "Are you open to making a change," "Are you open to an idea?"

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Cheers,
Darci Hanning, MLIS (she/her/hers)
Public Library Consultant / CE Coordinator
Continuing Education Resources: https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/conted

State Library of Oregon | Library Support and Development Services
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