YouTube Shorts will let you search for anything you spot
What's the story
YouTube has announced its plan to integrate Google Lens into Shorts, the company's short-form video platform, in the coming weeks.
The new feature will let users search for information about things they see in these videos.
The integration is expected to enhance visual search capabilities and offer more ways for users to explore content in an interactive way.
The Google Lens feature will be available on both Android and iOS apps.
Usage instructions
How will the feature work?
To use Google Lens on Shorts, open the YouTube app and tap "Shorts" at the bottom of the screen.
Pause by tapping on the screen and select "Lens" in the top menu.
A message about terms and conditions will pop up, which can be dismissed by tapping "X" or anywhere else on the video.
Users can then draw, highlight, or tap anything on-screen to search with Lens.
The tool will provide visual matches and search results overlaid on the Short.
Feature capabilities
What can it do?
The Google Lens feature on Shorts will let users search for information about animals, plants, and objects they see in a video.
For instance, if a user is watching a Short with a landmark in the background, they can use Lens to search for that specific landmark and learn more about where the video was filmed.
Feature restrictions
Limitations and availability
The Google Lens feature won't use "biometric facial recognition" to identify specific people in a video, but may show results for "notable public figures."
It also won't show ads in results during the pilot phase and won't be available on Shorts with shopping affiliate links initially.
The beta version of this feature is being rolled out to all viewers this week.