Your Android phone already does a lot for you. But did you know it can also scan barcodes, translate foreign languages, identify plants and objects, help with homework and even read back out loud any text from a book, magazine or sign? 

Lens is an image recognition technology and a very cool part of most Android phones. To use it, open your camera app and find Lens in the bottom menu – or it might be in the extra section marked by the four boxes. Then point the camera at whatever it is you want Lens to scan, select the appropriate mode (translate, text, shopping, etc.) and tap the search button. 

That's all it takes. Here are our favourite things you can do with Google Lens: 

Copy text 

You’ll often see text in the real world that you want to copy to your phone, such as a phone number or a worthwhile quote. But typing the words is a pain, so you’ll take a photo – and then quite likely forget about it. The Lens text feature will recognise printed text, then turn it into digital text you can copy and save. Select ‘text’ and hover over the text you want to capture. Once Lens identifies the text, you can highlight and copy it. 

Translate Signs 

This Lens trick is amazing and fun to show people. If you point your camera to text in a foreign language and select ‘translate’, it will automatically change the words into whichever language you select. You can use this on signs, newsprint – any printed text, in fact. 

Listen To Text 

Apart from scanning and recognising text, Lens can also read the text back to you. Focus Lens on a block of text, such as a book page, scan the text and then select ‘listen’. Your phone will read the text out loud to you in a surprisingly natural voice.   

Scan QR Codes And Barcodes 

Your phone can scan QR codes with Lens. Point the camera at the QR code and select ‘search’. It will display the web address or text encoded in the QR code. Lens can also scan barcodes in the same manner: point the camera and search. The barcode scan will give you the name of the product – handy when making a shopping list! If you scan using the ‘shopping’ item, the search will suggest alternative products. 

Search For Similar Images 

Lens lets you use your existing photos to search for new info. Let’s say you took a photo of something you want, such as a new pair of shoes. You want to know where you can shop for them or if there are similar styles to browse. Go to your gallery, select the photo, then select the ‘Lens’ option at the bottom. Lens will search the web using your photo as its reference.  

Scan And Call 

If you’ve taken a photo of an email address or phone number, say, from a flyer, sign, or business card, you can scan the photo to extract phone numbers and email addresses. Go to the gallery, select the photo, then select ‘Lens’ and ‘text’. Tap the phone number or email address to highlight it, and you’ll get the option to call it. You can also create a new phone contact in this way. 

Identify Plants, Animals, Objects and Buildings 

Not sure what plant that is? Curious about what breed your cat might be? Found an object, but you don't know what it's called? No problem; just whip out your phone and use Lens to search for it. The results are very accurate and will show several choices if they’re available. You can also use this feature to scan iconic buildings and learn more about the surrounding area. 

Homework Help 

Most parents dread not being able to help when the kids come to them with a homework problem. But never fear, Lens to the rescue! Switch to the Lens ‘homework’ feature and scan the question. Lens will then provide sources that help explain the question and give other information. ‘Homework’ won’t do the homework, but it does help get to the answers faster. 

Copy Text To A Computer 

Want to copy and paste text to your computer from a book, rather than type it out? Use Lens to scan the text, then select ‘Copy to Computer’. If your computer uses Google’s Chrome browser and is logged into the same Google account as your phone, you can copy the text directly to your PC. 

Scan Handwritten Notes 

Lens can scan handwritten text and turn it into digital text that you can edit. It’s still a basic feature, so results vary, but Lens can detect anything written in reasonably clear handwriting. You can then copy and edit the text or send it to other devices. 

This nifty camera function won't work without an internet connection and Vodacom has some great options. These include fast and secure connectivity with Vodacom Fibre and, if you're on the go, cost-effective data deals with Vodacom Just4U deals.