Google has unveiled new in-store and local shopping experiences while making certain Google Pay features available to more people.

Lens, Google's visual search feature, pulls product information and shows you similar products the store has in stock alongside reviews and other details. Hit the Lens icon in the search bar of the mobile Google app for iPhone and Android, then snap a photo of a product. Lens does the rest, finding relevant details from more than 45 billion product listings and in-stock inventory data from a range of retailers.

First, the feature will work with beauty products, toys, or electronics "at stores of all sizes that share their local inventory with Google." The company says 72 percent of shoppers in the United States use their smartphone for in-store shopping, with one in each of the five Lens searches being shopping-focused. To use this feature, you must be located within the United States and set the Google app to share your precise location.

Google Maps is also pushing product search. Now, you can find your favorite products in Maps, view stores selling them nearby, and browse relevant inventory. The company said, "You can search for products including home goods, electronics, clothing, and more, as well as items from grocery stores or retailers." Product search will be available in the Google Maps app for iPhone and Android in the United States "in the coming weeks," just in time for the holidays.

Lastly, Google Pay's buy now, pay later option has picked up Afterpay as an option, with Klarna "coming soon" (and joining the existing Affirm and Zip partners). Another new feature coming this month to Google Pay will let you set up a Discover virtual card via Chrome and Android devices for cardholders in the United States. And to strengthen Google Pay's security, the company will soon start piloting a new service that allows merchants to identify fraudulent transactions more accurately. These new features are arriving hot on the heels of a new AI-powered Google Shopping experience.

I can cope with shopping-focused Lens features in the mainland Google app. However, searching for products to buy via Google Maps seems a little excessive. It used to be a joke that every Google app was a messaging app; now, every Google app is a shopping app. As for product search via Lens, I find that to be a viable use case. Google Lens can already be used in some fun ways, including bargain shopping in stores and flea markets.

Source: Google