Google Lens Now Immediately Opens To The Camera

Now that we have Circle to Search, Google Lens has been updated so that it immediately starts the camera viewfinder upon launch on Android and iOS.

Previously, tapping the Google Lens shortcut in the search bar (Pixel Launcher + widget + Google app) or app icon that you can download from the Play Store would open the gallery view. There’s a live preview up top, but most of the page is dedicated to showing existing images on your devices, including your eight most recent screenshots and entire camera roll, for one-tap analysis. You had to tap or swipe to launch the viewfinder.

Now, opening Google Lens immediately opens the camera viewfinder to take a picture.

This change makes sense as Circle to Search adoption grows on Android. (That said, this camera change is also live in the Google app on iOS.) Lens can be Google’s dedicated tool for the real world, while CtS is for what’s on your screen.

One small viewfinder tweak that Google made recently is to use a circular preview of your last image instead of a rounded square. You can tap that or swipe up to get the gallery. It joins the history button in the top-right corner that was introduced in 2024 and lets you see previous visual searches.

Last year, Google streamlined voice input so that you can long-press on the camera button and start talking to append a text query to your picture. Additionally, Google is testing video search if you’re enrolled in Search Labs (AI Overviews and more).

We’re seeing this Lens camera change with the latest version of the Google app on Android (16.0.7) and iOS.