The iOS version can identify the pertinent text on a card - email address, phone number - but can't create a contact from it. And if you're regularly on the receiving end of them, you'll appreciate Lens' ability to scan a card and turn the data into a new address-book entry.įor the moment, this works only in Android. Remember business cards? Turns out they're still a thing. But even if you have to go the take-a-picture/launch-Google-Photos route, you can do some neat stuff. That's definitely the coolest and most efficient way to use the tool. On compatible models, when you invoke Assistant, you'll see a Lens icon in the lower-right corner tap it to bring Lens to life for real-time searches. Thankfully, Lens has made its way to Google Assistant on many phones, effectively giving you a more AR-like experience. (This is much easier in Android, because that app is just a swipe away after you take the pic.)

Of course, because Google Photos can't actually snap photos itself, you have to perform the extra step of loading your camera app first, taking the picture, then switching over to Photos.

On both Android and iOS, it operates from inside the Google Photos app: select any photo, then tap the Lens icon. Lens works a little differently depending on the device you have.

Google pic scan