Earlier this month, we saw the Google keyboard for Android working on dark / light auto themes. Those using the beta version of Gboard 9.6 now find another feature that we previously enabled: Google Lens integration.
In June, some, if not most, of the Gboard users lost the app’s built-in search functionality. Google now seems to be replacing web searches with visual ones.
In the overflow menu (at the end of the suggestion strip), some users find a shortcut for “Lens”, complete with the icon of the visual search tool. Tapping starts the same Google Lens accessible from an icon on the Home screen, Assistant, Google Camera or Photos. Like any other Gboard shortcut, you can drag it to the main bar for immediate access.
From Gboard, Lens automatically opens in the “Text” filter which is used to identify things in the real world that you can search or copy. By highlighting something, users can now “Copy text”, “Copy to computer”, “Listen”, “Translate” or “Search”.
Gboard appears to be responsible for a new “Send to Keyboard” option that will automatically paste what you saw in Lens into the last text field in which Gboard was active. Devices that do not have the Gboard-Lens integration are not seeing this capability.
This creates a very smooth workflow that addresses the real world problem of seeing something in the world and wanting to copy it.
To update: Shortly after publication, Lens in Gboard appeared on various Android 10 and 11 devices that we verified. As this is a beta version, the lens feature could be removed in a future keyboard update.
Meanwhile, we previously revealed that Lens is set up for a major redesign inspired by the Google Camera UI. It will introduce offline visual translations and a new “Homework” filter.
More about Google Lens:
Dylan Roussel contributed to this article.
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