Google has integrated a really handy Google Lens feature into restaurant listings on Google Maps to help you decide what to eat.
The new feature – which was first spotted by 9to5Google – highlights the most popular dishes on a menu and provides more information for anyone unfamiliar with that restaurant or specific dish.
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It is common for Maps users to upload images of restaurant menus under that establishment’s Google Maps listing. Now users can click ‘Explore dishes’ or the Lens icon in the top-right to get more out of those menus.
Image: 9to5Google
Popular dishes have been flagged with an orange overlay and tiny star, which users can tap for more info. Images of the dishes will appear at the bottom so you can get a good idea of what you’re getting before you order.
This feature isn’t actually new for Google, having first been announced for Google Lens at Google’s I/O 2019 conference last May.
However, it being available in Maps is new – and makes the feature significantly more tempting for users who don’t feel like closing one app and opening another every time they browse a new menu.
This is just one feature Google Lens has available when it comes to eating out.
The image recognition tech can also translate menus when you’re overseas, display photos and reviews of specific dishes and even split the bill and calculate a tip for you.
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While you can’t access all of these features in Maps just yet, the integration of this Lens feature could be a signal of more to come and even convince loyal Maps users to download Lens in the meantime.
Lens for menus in Google Maps has already begun rolling out on the Android OS. The feature is not available on iOS, though we expect it to be announced in the future.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
