Do you remember Google Goggles? Many, like me, had forgotten about them until now, when Google pushed out the app’s first update since 2014 to shut it down.
The app, which first came out in 2009, was one of Google’s first attempts at object identification in photos.
I certainly remember having the app on my phone for a few years. However, Google eventually abandoned the project in favour of something much more interesting: Google Lens.
Lens provides many of the same useful features as Goggles. However, Lens is amped up with some special machine learning juice that makes it surprisingly good.
The update pushed to Goggles renders it useless. Now when you launch the app, you’re greeted with a screen directing you to download Google Lens.
It’s a bit of a weird one. On one hand, how many people actually have Goggles installed on a device? On the other, not many devices are compatible with Google Lens, especially older ones. So why try and move them to Lens?
Regardless of Google’s reasons, this relic of the past seems to be on its way out. I can’t imagine Google leaving Goggles available in this state for much longer.
It’s a bit redundant having an app on the Play Store just to tell people to download another app.
Via: Android Police
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
