Google Lens update changes UI design, adds smart text selection

Google Lens is getting one of those rare important updates that meaningfully changes the app to offer users a much smoother experience. The update has been prophesied by Google earlier this month at the I/O 2018, so if you've been in the loop with all the important news coming from the annual conference, then you probably have heard of it.

The update is slowly rolling out to Android users as of this week, but it might take a while to reach all devices. The most obvious change is a complete redesign of the UI, which basically reorganizes the Lens' elements. Also, a new menu has been added – “Tap on objects and text,” which shows Lens users what objects and text the camera can identify.

The update also introduces some AR (augmented reality) features, such as the real-time search capability where you can get real-time information about the objects that appear in your camera scope.

Smart text selection is another brand new feature that finally made it to Google Lens, along with the ability to search for the same type of items. All the new features mentioned seem to be delivered via a server-side update, so there's no need to look for a particular update to download.