Joe Hindy / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google Lens integration will be added to YouTube Shorts in the coming weeks.
- The feature will allow users to fire up Lens within a Short and quickly search for what they’re watching.
- Ads in search results will likely be a part of the experience when it rolls out widely to all users.
Shorts is one of YouTube’s most important and fastest-growing categories right now. The company is constantly adding more features to the format, and another one coming in the next few weeks will bring some Google Lens magic to YouTube Shorts.
According to a recent community post by Google, YouTube Shorts will soon gain Google Lens integration. You’ll be able to use Lens to search for what you’re watching in a Short. For instance, if you’re watching a YouTube Short filmed at a location you would like to visit, you can fire up Lens, select a landmark in the Short, and get search results for it.
To try out the feature once it’s live, you’ll have to pause the Short you’re watching by tapping on the screen and selecting Lens from the top menu. You can then draw, highlight, or tap on anything you’re watching to search via Google Lens.
If you’re wondering why this sounds familiar, it’s because the feature overlaps with Circle to Search, an AI tool we’re sure you’ve heard of already, and one that many Android phones, including Pixels and Samsung Galaxy devices, promote in abundance. The only difference between Lens in YouTube Shorts and Circle to Search might be the UI of how those search results are displayed.
Google writes, “You’ll see visual matches and search results overlaid on the Short, and from there, you can easily and quickly jump back into the content you were watching.” Unfortunately, the company didn’t show an example of what this would look like in its post, but we’re sure we’ll get to see it soon enough.
Lens integration in YouTube Shorts will start rolling out to the beta version of the app this week. Google notes viewers won’t see ads in the search results during the Lens in Shorts beta phase. That means ads will likely be a part of the experience when it rolls out widely to all users.
