Google shows function to search for products at nearby stores via photos
Google is expanding its Multisearch feature with a ‘near me’ feature. This allows users to take a photo of, for example, a product or dish, and then search for local shops or restaurants that sell it.
Google already introduced Multisearch last month. This allows users to do a search through Google Lens in combination with a photo. For example, users can figure out how to care for a particular plant by taking a photo of a plant and then adding the search term “care instructions.” The feature is also suitable for searching for products, for example by taking a photo of a table set and adding the term ‘coffee table’ to search for a matching coffee table.
Google Multisearch Near Me
With the new near me feature, those search results can be limited to things that are near the user. Google gives an example of finding local restaurants that serve certain dishes. For example, users can snap a photo of a pizza through Google Lens, then search for a nearby pizza place using the phrase “near me.”
The same should work for products. Users can take a photo of a faucet and search for “replacement hose near me” to find spare parts at local stores. According to Google, the function works for stores that are already active on Google’s search engine.
The ‘near me’ feature will be added later this year to the Multisearch feature that the company introduced last month, Google announced during its I/O presentation. The feature will then be available in English. Other languages will follow later.
Google Multisearch near me. Click for a gif.
Google Lens gets Scene Exploration mode
In time, Google will also expand its Lens feature with a Scene Exploration mode. This allows users to view information about a product. Currently, Lens can already recognize a product and see if it can be found in the search index. In time, this will be expanded with the scene reconnaissance function.
This allows users to see information from multiple products at the same time. Google gives as an example that the function can be used, for example, if someone is looking for a certain bar of chocolate. Users can then enter the search term ‘highly rated dark chocolate bar without nuts’ and point their camera at a candy shelf, after which information about suitable chocolate bars is displayed on the screen. Google will not announce when exactly this feature will come to Lens.