Outlook Business Desk
YouTube announced on Thursday that it is integrating Google Lens into its Shorts feature, allowing viewers to search for more information about items they see in short videos.
Viewers will soon be able to tap the Lens button while watching a Short and search anything they see on screen.
The Lens option will appear in the top menu of the Shorts player in the YouTube mobile app during beta testing.
Once tapped, Google Lens shows visual matches and search results in an overlay, helping users learn more instantly.
YouTube says users won’t see ads in Lens search results while the feature is in beta. Also, Lens won’t work on Shorts that include Shopping affiliate links or paid product promotions.
The feature is being rolled out in beta starting this week, available to all users gradually via the mobile app.
In April, YouTube revealed a set of new features aimed to help creators to make more engaging short-form videos. These updates include a better video editor, AI-generated stickers, a feature that syncs videos to the beat of a song, improved templates and several other enhancements to boost creativity.
This launch is part of YouTube’s plan to improve content discovery and create better search experiences within its platform.