Google Lens may get a new camera-like icon in a future update.
According to Android Police, the new icon is probably part of an a / b test. An insider shared a picture of the new icon as seen in the Google app search bar, but Android Police could not replicate it. Equally, MobileSyrup has reviewed several Android phones and none sport the new design.
Above: new Google Lens icon. Bottom: old Google Lens icon.
The Play Store still shows Google Lens with the most recent redesign, which fell in May 2019. The only real change is the shape of the symbol: the current icon features classic Google colors in the form of a square with rounded corners and a blue circle. in the middle it represents the lens of a camera.
However, the new design is just the shape of a camera with Google colors and a blue circle for the lens.
While the change may indicate that people found the current icon confusing, I imagine that people will also find the new icon confusing; to me it looks more like an icon for a camera app than Lens.
Considering that this is likely a test, we may never see the new Lens icon. Android Police suggests that Google will want to see if Lens usage increases and make a decision based on that. Alternatively, this redesign may be intended to bring the Lens icon in line with Google’s recent list of icon redesigns, although the current Lens icon also fits well into the multi-colored square outlines with subtle differences to differentiate between apps.
Source: Android Police
