Google's AI app, Google Lens has hit more than 500-million installs on the Play store. Google Lens has hit more than 500-million installs on the Play store. The new milestone is noteworthy because Google Lens usually doesn't come pre-loaded on smartphones. Originally, launched back in 2018 as a separate entity, Google Lens uses image recognition to help users navigate the real world through Google Assistant. It lets you translate text in real-time, look up words, add events to your calendar, call a number, and more.