Discover Menus with Google Lens in Maps on Android

Tap the little Lens icon in Google Maps to analyze restaurant menus

Published March 9, 2020

Why This Matters

Having easy access to Lens in Google Maps just makes it all a little easier to check out menus when searching for a place to eat.

Android phone showing Google Maps Lens interface — Original Image: Pixabay

Google Lens is rolling out to Google Maps as an addition to location cards, making it easy to see what's popular to eat at local restaurants without having to leave the Maps app.

How it works: As 9to5Google points out, popular dishes are highlighted in orange with a little star when the Lens button (in the upper right corner of the images of menus in Maps) is tapped. This makes it much easier to see what's good at any local eatery without having to pull up a separate app or take a photo with the Lens app yourself.

Where is it: The feature is only on Android at this point; iOS tends to get these sorts of options later. If you don't see the lens button in your own version of Maps, make sure you've updated the app.

Big Picture: The addition makes a lot of sense, as most of us will probably look up restaurants in Google Maps before we start looking for menus online. Having Lens right in the Map app makes sure that people are aware of the technology, bringing it out of its own siloed location in Android. Here's hoping the ability comes to iOS soon, too.