In this guide, we will make you aware of the reason why the Google Lens is missing from Pixel Camera and how you can access it now on Android 14. The Lens app is undoubtedly one of the most useful offerings from the Silicon Valley giant. Not only is it able to identify the object by reading barcodes and QR codes, it also allows you to open web pages and carry out translation on the go. Likewise, its integration with other Google apps is also a major bonus.
Talking about which, you can easily access it from the app camera. Or at least this is what it used to be. With the latest Android 14 update, Google has rebranded its Pixel Camera app and with that, it has removed the Lens integration from it. One major reason why it has done so is attributed to the fact that it’s now aggressively trying to make the camera app focus on its sole task of taking pictures and videos and make it free from all the other integrations and related stuff.
While that does make sense up to an extent, however, the Lens integration could have been the sole exception to this rule. This is because the entire basis on which the Lens app works is by using the device’s camera app itself. So launching the camera and accessing Lens was for ages our go-to route, which unfortunately is no longer the case. So this begs the all-important question- what other alternative do we have in our hands? Let’s find out.
Fix Google Lens Missing from Pixel Camera on Android 14
Well, one obvious way of accessing Lens is via its standalone app, but that isn’t what you came for. As of now, the best course of action is to tap on the camera icon present at the right of the Google Search bar, which is situated at the bottom of the home screen. If this is the first time you are taking this route, then you’ll have to grant it access to your device’s gallery by tapping on the Allow Access button.
For some, this is an even shorter approach than the camera app as the latter requires to you launch the app, go to Modes, and select Lens. Instead, they could now access it just via a single tap from their Home Screen. Whereas the rest are still echoing their earlier justification that the Lens app’s best position was the Camera app since in most cases it was auto-invoked [such as when bought near a QR Code] and there was no need to go to the Modes section.
So on that note, we round off this guide as to how you could fix the issue of Google Lens missing from the Pixel Camera on Android 14. We would love to know which side of the fence are you on: Camera or Search Bar? Do let us know in the comments section below.
Dansiman
This is a terrible UX change. I always used the double-tap-power-button shortcut to open Camera, whether to take a photo or to use Lens. This was especially great because it worked even when the phone was locked! Now, instead of:
1. Double-tap power button
2. Swipe over to Modes
3. Tap Lens
… I have to:
1. Press the power button
2. Unlock my phone
3. (if I had another app open when I last turned off the screen) tap the Home button
4. remember where they moved the Lens icon to
5. tap on the Lens icon
6. tap on “Search with your camera”
That’s double the number of steps!