Tech

How to remove image search with Google Lens from Chrome

From some versions to this part, Chrome has added to its options the image search with google lens, a curious tool, but quite ineffective when it comes to searching for an image that is the same or similar to the one in front of you. Total, that perhaps you prefer to remove it from the middle.

Before, we are going to talk a little about the subject, because it is worth it. And it is that if the Google search system is still the jewel in the crown of the Mountain View company, and in this we include image search, the integration of Google Lens has not been as successful as it should be. In fact, the image search itself already had -and has!- a utility that works much better, when it comes to searching for matching images.

Let’s put ourselves in a situation: on a page you find an image that, for whatever reason, interests you, but it is not worth it as it is shown there. Maybe you want it in a higher resolution, or you are looking for similar images. A very effective way to do this is to go to Google image search and use the “search by image” feature.

Google Image Search

Google Image Search

There you choose whether you upload the image or paste the URL and Google does its magic.

Well, the new “Search image with Google Lens” option that the Chrome browser for PC has incorporated into its context menu should do something like that, but it doesn’t. It is more focused on purchases, on finding a product similar to the one in the image indicated, and both the results it shows and access to them are poor, if what you are interested in is the image as such, and not the product shows.

Image search with Google Lens

Image search with Google Lens

Luckily and for now, that’s another, you can disable this option… through the browser’s advanced preferences, of course. Simply enter the following URI into the Chrome address bar…:

chrome://flags/#enable-lens-standalone

… Deactivate the option (Disabled) and restart the browser. If you wanted it back, you just have to do the path in reverse.

Now, do you like that of being able to search for the origin of an image, or a similar one from an image? Don’t let getting rid of the Google Lens integration take away the possibility of doing so: install an extension that provides this functionality. There are a few, although if you ask me, one of my favorites is Reverse Image Search.

And on mobile? On mobile, Google Lens makes a lot more sense as is, built into the camera app (on Android phones, at least).

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