Google updates Lens to streamline the path to purchase

In addition to serving up linkable images of products resembling that in the uploaded image, Lens now provides specific product information, including price comparisons across retailers and user reviews. The aim is to streamline the path from inspiration to purchase. 

“Lens is becoming core to how people shop,” Lilian Rincon, vp of product for Google Shopping, told Glossy. “We’re finding that 20% of Google Lens searches are shopping-related.” 

With nearly 20 billion searches using Lens every month, visual search has become a popular means of product discovery. Users on TikTok have been using it to identify products in social media photos and cross-search fashion items across sites for sales, or dupes. The Lens update marries Google’s AI functionality with its more than 45 billion shopping listings.

The new experience is set to help users make more informed decisions. “Our tests of this new feature have shown that shoppers are more likely to engage with information in the new interface, suggesting that people are eager to learn more about those specific products,” said Rincon.

Also noteworthy is a new “Circle to Search” feature, which has gained popularity by allowing users to shop directly from videos and photos without switching apps. It’s currently available on Android phones only. “A third of users who have tried Circle to Search come back and use it weekly,” said Rincon, highlighting its growing adoption. The feature caters to the increasing demand for instant, in-context shopping, especially for hot items on social media and in online videos.

Fashion accessories have been the most-searched category on Lens, with bags, watches, wallets, rings, bracelets and sunglasses topping the list. According to Google, Lens makes it easier to identify these smaller items, which can be difficult to pinpoint due to their smaller logos.