YouTube users will now be able to search for anything they spot in a Short, meaning you’ll never have to ask people in the comments for info ever again.
Have you ever watched a YouTube Short and wondered about landmarks, plants, objects, animals, or anything else in the clip? You’re not alone – and the Google-owned platform wants to help.
On May 29, YouTube revealed that Google Lens functionality would start working with Shorts as part of a new beta project.
“In the coming weeks, viewers will be able to use Lens to search what they see while watching a Short,” the platform explained.
YouTube Shorts get a huge upgrade
While using the YouTube Mobile app, users can pause the video and select “Lens” in the top menu. From there, viewers can draw, highlight, or tap what they’re watching to perform a search.
As an example, in the announcement, YouTube showed a user drawing a circle around a dog and performing a search to find out what type of breed it is. Spoilers: it was a Dachshund.
(Segment begins at 1:28)
From there, users can jump back into the video from the search results, or, if you’d prefer to use a different platform than Google, just copy the relevant info and plug it into whatever tool you prefer using.
This feature won’t let viewers search for non-famous people. The platform says that the program “[doesn’t] use any biometric facial recognition with Lens.” However, they also state “it’s possible that we may show results for notable public figures.”
The Lens feature is rolling out to users now, so expect to be able to utilize it yourself by early June.
YouTube has been keen to keep upgrading Shorts and has added numerous features similar to that of its main rival TikTok.
Earlier in 2025, YT unveiled a new editor that lets users add music, and make edits to the timing of clips and music, which automatically aligns clips to the rhythm.
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