Google Lens, reverse image search
The first camera was invented in 1816 and the first photograph was taken in 1826. Now, over two centuries since the invention of the camera, billions of photos have been taken, many of which are just a Google search away.
According to Phototutorial, there are 136 billion images on Google Images as of July 2022. This number is expected to grow to 382 billion by 2030.
Whether you’re looking for a specific image or want to find information about a photo you’ve found, here’s the information you need – including an explanation of Google Lens, an image recognition software introduced by Google in 2017.
How to search Google for an image
There are two ways to search for an image using Google:
- You can treat your search like a regular Google search by using the search bar to enter your query – and clicking “Images” once you’ve entered your search.
- Alternatively, you can go to images.google.com to be taken directly to an image collection after entering your search query.
Who is the owner of Google?:The same company that owns Waze and YouTube.
How old is Google?:History of the most popular search engine in the world.
How to search with an image on Google
If you want more information about an image, you can do what is called a reverse image search. By putting a photo or a link to an image in the search bar, you can discover websites that use the image and related images and information.
To use Google Reverse Image Search on your computer, you can follow these simple steps:
- Go to images.google.com.
- Click the camera button in the search bar.
- You can upload an image by dragging it into the upload box or by clicking the “Upload File” button, which should open your computer’s library. Alternatively, below the upload box is a bar where you can paste a link to an image you found online.
How to reverse image search on your phone
To perform a reverse image search for an image on your phone, you can follow these steps, according to Business Insider:
- Open the Google app on your Android or Apple device.
- Tap the camera icon in the Google search bar.
- If prompted, allow Google access to your camera and photo gallery. If you’ve denied the Google app access to your camera or photo gallery in the past, you may need to manually grant the app permission in your device’s settings.
- Once you’ve allowed Google access to your camera and photos, you can search for related images by selecting a file from your device or by taking a picture in the Google app.
How to use Google Lens
You can use Google Lens image recognition software on any image to find related images and other information.
If you’re already on Google Images on your phone or handheld device and see an image you want to search with, you can just click the Google Lens button in the top-right corner of a selected photo — shaped like a square Camera with rounded corners, with a circular lens in the middle – to reveal a lot of related images.
For photos with multiple elements that Google Lens recognizes, you can click or tap to select the element in the image that interests you most.
If you want to search by an image in your camera roll or an item near you, you can also use your phone’s camera or photo gallery to search with Google Lens.
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