[Latest] Google Lens Not Working: Reasons & 9 Best Fixes

Google Lens is a remarkable advancement in the field of visual recognition and artificial intelligence. It makes our camera intelligent enough to extract information from the captured images, objects, and text.

However, Google Lens is just like any other program that can malfunction occasionally. So, if your Google Lens not working, then you are not alone. Now, all you have to do is identify the root cause of the issue and follow the fixes mentioned in this guide to resolve the issue quickly.

Part 1. Why Is My Google Lens Not Working?

Different users have reported different reasons why Google Lens not working on their Android or iPhone devices. So, there is no one common reason behind the malfunction. However, we have below compiled a few common reasons that can lead to Google Lens not working on Android/iPhone issue:

• Internet connection issues
• Outdated app
• Insufficient permission settings
• Unable to identify objects
• Corrupted cache
• Device camera issue
• Server Outage
• Phone issue

All the above reasons can likely trigger the Google Lens not working on iPhone/Android issue. But don't get worried!

The next part presents the best-proven fixes to tackle malfunctioning Google Lens. However, if you want to use Google Lens to translate scanned images, then UPDF is a much better alternative. UPDF's AI-powered OCR and translation functionality allow you to translate text on scanned images easily without facing any troubles. So, why not download UPDF right now and test its AI-driven functionality yourself?

Part 2. How to Fix the "My Google Lens Not Working" Issue?

Now that we know some of the main root causes, let's list the possible fixes to resolve Google Lens not working issue. So, follow the below fixes and their steps one by one until you resolve the issue:

Fix 1. Check Internet Connection

Google Lens is dependent on the internet. So, if Google Lens is unable to process and provide information about the captured images, then it is likely that your internet connection is not working. So, check your internet connection by running an internet speed test through any website, like Ookla.

If you suspect that your internet connection is weak, shift to another Wi-Fi connection or turn on your mobile data connection.

Fix 2. Update the Google Lens App

If you haven't updated the Google Lens app for a while, it can malfunction or ask you to update the app.

So, follow the below steps to fix the Google Lens camera not working issue by updating the app:

1. Launch the "Play Store" app and search for Google Lens.
2. Click the "Update" button to update the app.

Once updated, launch the app again and test its functionality.

Note: If you are using Google Lens on an iPhone, you have to update the "Google" app from the App Store.

Fix 3. Check Permission Settings

Google Lens needs a camera, storage, and microphone permissions to operate. So, if you haven't given those permissions, you will have to deal with the Google Lens not working on Android.

To check and grant permissions, follow the below steps:

1. Go to the "Settings" app and click "Apps".
2. Click the "Google Lens" app and tap "App permissions".
3. Grant "Camera", "Files and media", and "Microphone" permissions.

Once done, launch Google Lens again and see if it works correctly this time.

Fix 4. Unidentifiable Object

If Google Lens cannot identify the object you captured, then it is likely that the object is new or Lens doesn't have any information about it. The knowledge of Google Lens is finite, so it may not identify new objects easily or give incorrect responses occasionally.

To test this, you can ask Google Lens to detect a common object. If it identifies that object correctly, then it means there is no issue in the app.

Fix 5. Clear Cache

When there are a lot of cache files, or they get corrupted, Google Lens can malfunction. Therefore, if the above fixes haven't resolved Google Lens not working issue, then clear cache files as follows:

1. Go to the "Settings" app and click "Apps".
2. Click the "Google Lens" app and tap "Clear data".
3. Click "Clear Cache" and confirm your choice.

Once the cache files are deleted, launch Google Lens again and test it out.

Fix 6. Malfunctioning Camera

There are chances that your phone camera app is malfunctioning. If that's the case, you can face the Google Lens camera not working on iPhone/Android issue. To check this, open the Camera app directly and see its performance.

If your camera is not working, it may be due to some internal phone glitch or bug. So, restart your phone and try to open the Camera app again. If the camera starts working, your Google Lens app should also work perfectly now.

Fix 7. Check Google Server Issue

Google Lens is dependent on Google servers. So, if Google servers are down in your region, the Google Lens may not work properly. Therefore, check the current status of the Google server through any website that provides real-time updates, such as Downdetector.

Fix 8. Update your Device OS

Just like updating Google Lens is important, you should also update your phone's OS. This helps to fix bugs in the phone that may be interfering with Google Lens. Follow the below steps to update your device OS:

1. Go to the "Settings" app and click "About phone".
2. Check for the system update of your phone and Android version.

Once updated, use the Google Lens app again.

Fix 9. Try UPDF to Translate Images

If you want to use Google Lens to translate images but cannot fix the issue after applying the above fixes, you should opt for an alternative app. UPDF is one such ideal app you can use to translate scanned images.

UPDF is an AI-powered image translator that offers two top-notch functionalities, i.e., OCR and AI translator. Its OCR technology can detect text from images, while its AI translator (UPDF AI) helps to translate the image text into any language you want, such as English to Malayalam, French, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, etc., and vice versa. Besides translating scanned images, it can also translate scanned documents with dozens of pages.

Below are the simple steps you have to use with UPDF to translate images:

Step 1. Download and launch UPDF on your Windows or Mac computer.

Click File > Create > PDF from Image and select the image(s) you intend to translate.

Step 2. Click the "OCR" option from the right sidebar and customize the settings, such as language, layout, etc. Afterward, click "Perform OCR".

Step 3. Once the OCR is completed, the image text becomes editable. Now click the UPDF AI icon from the bottom right and click "Get Started" to let the AI chatbot analyze the document.

Step 4. Select the text you want to translate and click UPDF AI > Translate > choose the language of your choice.

That's it! This way, you can leverage advanced AI functionality to translate image(s) or image-based documents proficiently. So, eradicate the Google Lens not working issue by downloading UPDF and experience a bug-free and seamless way to translate images.

Part 3. Bonus: UPDF is Your Complete Image Translator and PDF Editor Tool

UPDF not only dominates as a powerful image translator, but it is also a complete PDF editor tool. This means you get all the PDF reading, editing, and annotating features alongside image translation.

The key features of UPDF include the following:

• AI Summary/Explanation: Its UPDF AI Chatbot allows you to summarize document content or ask document-related or general questions through the AI chat box.
• Create PDFs: It can create PDFs from many formats, like Word, PPT, Excel, image, etc.
• Edit PDFs: Its editing feature can add or edit text, images, links, headers/footers, and background of PDFs.
• Annotate PDFs: It allows you to highlight, underline, mark, draw, or insert stamps, stickers, comments, and text boxes.
• Merge PDFs and Images: It can merge images and PDFs into one single PDF.
• Convert PDFs: It can convert PDF to 9 other formats, including Word, HTML, Excel, XML, CSV, PPT, RTF, text, and image.
• Protect PDFs: It can protect PDFs with passwords.
• Redact PDFs: It can redact specific parts of PDFs to protect sensitive information.
• Organize PDFs: It can add, remove, split, extract, crop, and rearrange PDF pages.
• Fill & Sign PDFs: It allows you to create or fill fillable forms and sign PDFs.
• Compatibility: It is compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

Overall, UPDF is your ultimate image translator and PDF editor tool. Therefore, download and purchase UPDF and have the most advanced tool at your disposal.

Conclusion

Google Lens not working on Android/iPhone is a common issue reported by many users. It can occur due to any reason mentioned above. However, you can easily fix the issue by following the above fixes one by one. In addition, this guide also recommends you download UPDF, as it provides AI-powered features to translate images and make other edits to documents. Therefore, use this guide as your reference to resolve Google Lens and hit the download button below to install UPDF.