Google is upgrading its AI search capabilities on mobile with a new version of Google Lens This upgrade includes voice-activated questions instead of typing

When you open Google Lens on your iPhone or Android device, you will see a redesigned interface and can choose to send an image or a short 20-second video to Gemini for analysis

At the briefing, Google told us that the video feature allows for more complex responses that cannot be captured by images One example is sending a video of a child playing an unusual game on a slide and asking if it is safe Google would respond almost instantly with an answer

When I asked about privacy, a Google spokesperson told me that any video would be deleted once it was sent to Gemini for analysis and would not be used further for model training or future versions

The video search is a fascinating addition, but the biggest change for me, especially if I want to send a picture of an entire supermarket shelf at once, is that I can now say the question out loud No more typing the query and then sending the image

The voice option has also been added to Google Lens' photo query option, where Google says, “Just point the camera, press the shutter button, and ask whatever is on your mind

Google first announced plans to add video and voice to Google Lens at the Google IO event earlier this year and has finally begun rolling it out to all users Currently, there are no plans to bring video to the web, but the company recently integrated its smaller Gemini Nano model into Chrome

According to Google Lens, queries are currently the fastest growing search query type, making it easier to search the world around us Apple is also entering this space with Apple Visual Intelligence, which will be included in iOS 181

The updated Google Lens feature is easy to find: simply enter Google Lens and hold down the shutter button This will allow your phone to record the video and give you time to ask questions

Google explains: “Say you are at an aquarium and want to learn more about an interesting fish in an exhibit Open Lens in the Google app, hold down the shutter button and record Our system understands the video and your question together and generates an AI overview and helpful resources from across the web

The company also offers AI overviews and upgrades to enable updates to Google Lens This feature will display natural language responses in the results in addition to the usual linked list It is designed “for questions that are open-ended or for which there is no single correct answer”

The mobile search results page will have a new look, starting with recipes and meal inspiration-related answers The full page will be displayed, not just the top section According to Google, this will include “content and perspectives from across the web, including articles, videos, and forums

“In our tests, people find search results pages organized by AI more useful,” a spokesperson explained And with AI-organized search results pages, we're offering people a greater variety of content formats and sites, further increasing the chances that content will be found”

Circle to Search has also received an update, allowing users to ask what song is playing without having to switch to another app It will be available natively on over 150 Android devices