Google puts a skin condition scanner in everyone's pocket

Skin conditions can be major health problems that, unfortunately, often go undiagnosed. In an effort to help people identify possible skin conditions, Google is rolling out a new update to Google Lens.

While Google's new update won't be anywhere near as accurate as an official diagnosis from a qualified medical practitioner, Google is hoping its new update to Lens will be able to give users enough information to get them on their way.

So, what is the new update? Google has explained via its blog that describing an odd mole or rash can be difficult with words and that the new update to Lens will allow users to take a picture of the concerned region of skin and upload it to Lens.

Google Lens will then present the user with a bunch of images that are visually similar to what the user uploaded. Notably, this feature works for other parts of the body, such as a bump on a lip, hair loss, or even a line on your nails. From here, users can identify what type of ailments they have and what medical practitioner they should visit.

As for other new Google Lens features, "Lens can help you bridge the language barrier. Using the Translate filter in Lens, you can upload or take a picture, or even just point your camera at the text you want to translate, like a menu or a street sign. Lens will automatically detect the written language and overlay the translation on top of it, directly on your phone screen," writes Google.