Google Goggles Review

Snap a picture and Google retrieves information about that image.
By: Bob Tedeschi

Category: Travel
Cost/Platforms: Free on Android and Apple devices.

Overall Rating:travel app rating
Multiplatform:travel app rating
Lots of function for nothing:travel app rating
Fun and easy to use:travel app rating
Solves travel need or challenge:travel app rating

Snap a photo, and let Google go to work.

Why we like it -- Goggles is essentially a visual search service, available as a standalone Android app or from within the Google Mobile app for Apple devices. (It's not yet available for BlackBerry.) Point your camera toward something and snap a "picture," and Google retrieves information about that image.

For travelers, perhaps the best feature of Goggles is its ability to translate signs so you can navigate an area. The app's foreign-language translation isn't perfect, but it is a great place to start (provided you have a data connection and a reasonably priced usage plan while you're on the road).

The app can also sometimes retrieve information about famous landmarks, thus saving you the hassle of typing in a name. If you snap the photo of a building's sign, that picture will yield a list of search results associated with the place.

Improvements we'd like to see -- Since "visual search" is in its infancy, approach it with modest expectations so you won't be disappointed. The app will often fail to recognize buildings or objects, and translations can be flawed.

More app reviews >>

Next Up

Why This Mexican Town You Probably Haven't Heard of Is Worth a Visit for Day of the Dead

Instead of experiencing the holiday in Mexico City, go a little further off the beaten path for more intimate Noche and Dia de Muertos celebrations in Erongaricuaro.

Google Maps Review

Find your way almost anywhere in the world with Google Maps.

Google Translate Review

Translate words and phrases between more than 50 languages using the Google Translate travel app.

10 Products That'll Hide Your Valuables When You Travel

Thieves won’t even look twice at these everyday products that are actually concealing your cash, credit cards and hotel room keys.

XE Review

The XE app makes currency conversion a breeze.

Zagat to Go Review

Zagat to Go offers trusted advice for finding a restaurant on the road.

Jetsetter Review

Discover the world's greatest vacations, hand-picked by experts with the Jetsetter travel app.

FlightTrack Review

FlightTrack tells you the arrival time and gate of every flight and offers alternate routes if your flight is cancelled.

Airport Transit Guide Review

Filled with advice on transportation options for 460 airports, this app does a great job of balancing comprehensiveness with simplicity.

Star Walk Review

If you're stuck in an unfamiliar place with nothing to do, or if you'd like to strike up a conversation with a stranger, this is a great app for the task.

More Creepy Content

Follow Us Everywhere

Join the party! Don't miss Travel Channel in your favorite social media feeds.

On TV

6pm | 5c
On Tonight
On Tonight
8pm | 7c
10pm | 9c
12am | 11c
2am | 1c