You can see Google Lens history by opening the Google app, tapping the Lens camera icon, then tapping the clock history icon in the top right corner. Your full history, including every image, object, or text you've scanned, is also stored in your Google Account's My Activity page, where you can search, filter, and revisit anything you forgot to save.
What you need before you can see Google Lens history
Before any Lens scan appears in your history, two settings must be active in your Google Account. First, "Web & App Activity" must be enabled, this is the master switch that records your interactions with Google services. Second, the "Include Visual Search History" option, which is off by default, must be turned on within that same Web & App Activity menu. Without both toggles enabled, Google Lens will not save any record of your scans, and your history will remain empty no matter where you look.
You also need to be signed in to the Google account you used when scanning. Lens history is tied to your account, not to a specific device, so signing in with the correct credentials is essential. If you use multiple Google accounts, check that you're viewing history under the same account where you performed the scans. To capture new images directly from your desktop for this history, use Google lens in browser.
How to view your Google Lens history on a phone
The quickest way to check recent Lens activity is directly from the Google app on your Android or iOS device. This method shows your most recent scans instantly, which is ideal when you just need to pull up something you looked at minutes ago.
- Open the Google app on your phone.
- Tap the Lens camera icon in the search bar, it looks like a small camera and opens the visual search interface.
- Tap the clock history icon at the top right corner of the screen. This opens a list of your recent Lens scans.
- Select "See full history" at the bottom of that list to jump to your complete activity log.
From this recent-scans view, you can tap any thumbnail to reopen the original scan, see the results you got, or copy text that was detected. The list is chronological, with your newest scans at the top, so scrolling down reveals older items.
Viewing your full history on My Activity
For a comprehensive, searchable record of every Lens scan you've ever made, head to myactivity.google.com in any browser. This is the same page that logs all your Google activity, and Lens entries appear there alongside searches, voice commands, and other actions.
To find a specific scan, use the search bar at the top of My Activity and type a keyword related to the item you scanned, like "dog" or "restaurant sign." You can also filter by date range using the filter icon, which lets you narrow results to a single day, week, or custom period. This is especially useful when you're trying to locate a scan from weeks or months ago and don't want to scroll through everything.
Each entry in My Activity is clickable. Opening it reveals more details, including the exact time, the device used, and the option to view the original image or text that Lens processed. This full-history view is the most reliable way to revisit any scan, even if you never saved it to a note or album.
How to delete or pause your Google Lens history
If you want to remove individual scans or clear everything at once, My Activity gives you full control.
To prevent future scans from being saved, you can pause history collection entirely. Go to My Activity, click "Activity controls" in the left menu, and turn off "Web & App Activity." This stops Google from recording any new Lens scans, including visual search history. Note that pausing this setting also affects other Google services that rely on Web & App Activity, such as search suggestions and personalized recommendations. You can also leave Web & App Activity on but turn off only "Include Visual Search History" if you want to keep other activity logs while stopping Lens-specific saving.
What to do if you can't find your history
The most common reason your Lens history is missing is that the "Include Visual Search History" setting was off at the time you scanned. Since this option is disabled by default, many users unknowingly scan items without ever creating a record. If you check My Activity and see no Lens entries, go to Activity controls and confirm both "Web & App Activity" and "Include Visual Search History" are enabled, then try a new scan and check again. If history still doesn't appear, you may have been signed out of your Google account during the scan, or you might be looking under the wrong account profile.
Another point to keep in mind: Google Lens history does not count against your Google storage limits. Unlike photos or files in Google Drive, your visual search activity is stored separately and won't fill up your quota, so there's no need to delete it to free space. If you're still having trouble after verifying settings and account details, try clearing the Google app's cache or updating the app to the latest version, as older builds sometimes have display bugs with history views. If you want to remove specific images you uploaded for searching, you can delete photos from Google lens without clearing your entire activity history. For a completely clean slate, you can also remove Google lens activity in bulk from your account settings.
