Google Lens will soon work on YouTube shorts, all you need to do is pause the YouTube Short, then make a circle on the portion of the video you want Google Lens to search on and it will provide an overlay dialog menu to show you search results that match.
Google said it currently only shows organic results and no ads - but that can change.
It reminds me of the circle to search feature.
Here is a screenshot of this from a video YouTube posted showing it in action:
Here is the video announcing it:
Rob from the YouTube team said in this YouTube Help Post:
We’re excited to begin rolling out a new beta that brings the magic of Google Lens to YouTube Shorts. In the coming weeks you’ll be able to use Lens to search what you see while watching Shorts. For example, if you’re watching a Short filmed in a location that you want to visit, you can select a landmark to identify it, and learn more about the destination’s culture and history!
Here are the steps to get it to work:
- Go to the YouTube mobile app, then open the Shorts player by either tapping the Shorts tab or a Short you see on Home
- Pause the Short by tapping on the screen
- Select “Lens” in the top menu then draw, highlight, or tap on anything you’re watching to search via Google Lens
- You’ll see visual matches and search results overlaid on the Short (and from there you can easily quickly jump back into the content you were watching)
Rob added that "during the beta phase of Lens in Shorts, you won’t see ads shown in the search results. Also, the Lens experience isn’t available for Shorts with YouTube Shopping affiliate links or with paid product promotions."
Google is starting to roll out the beta to all viewers.
Here is a detailed help document that added:
- Google does not use any biometric facial recognition with Lens. However it's possible that Google may show results for notable public figures.
- No ads, Google said, "No, only organic results will be shown during the initial pilot.
- During the initial pilot, Lens search will not be available to use on Shorts that have YouTube Shopping affiliate tags.
Forum discussion at YouTube Help.
I am currently offline for the Shavout holiday, this post was pre-written and scheduled to be posted today.
