The new panel will appear to the right after a Lens search. | Image: Google
Google Lens, the search giantās powerful image recognition software, is becoming slightly less cumbersome to use within the Chrome browser on desktop. Currently, if you want to use Lens on an image on a website, the browser opens a page of results in a new tab. But in the future, the browser will instead show results in a panel to the right of a webpage. Only when you want to find an imageās source will Chrome open a new browser tab.
The search giantās image recognition software has long been available on mobile, where itās accessible via Googleās apps on iOS or the native camera app on some Android phones. But last year, Google Lens came to desktop via the Chrome browser and can be accessed by right-clicking an image and then selecting āSearch Image with Google Lens.ā
Image: Google
The new Lens sidebar in action.
Google Lens is designed to be able to identify everything from buildings and animals to clothes, plants, and works of art. It offers a more visual way to find the information youāre seeking online. The feature holds a lot of promise, but it often feels like a fun novelty that Google is struggling to turn into a useful tool. Hopefully for Google, making it more accessible on desktop can allow its potential to emerge.
The new Lens panel is rolling out to Chrome users now. Specific steps on how to access the feature can be found on this support page.