Listen: Google Lens Modes

Google Lens has quietly become one of the most advanced visual search tools in the world. Behind the scenes, it works by constructing detailed, context-rich search queries. One of the newest additions to this structure is a parameter called L-N-S mode.

This parameter acts as a high-level indicator of the type of search you are running, and it classifies Google Lens queries into three distinct categories. There is "text" for text-only searches, like when the tool reads printed text from an image. Then there is "U-N," short for unimodal, which is an image-only search. And finally, there is "M-U," or multimodal, which combines both text and images.

Google uses this parameter to route requests properly, helping the backend deliver the right results and user interface. It also plays a crucial role in Google's AI Mode, which connects multimodal searches directly with Gemini.

So, while you might never notice it in your address bar, this behind-the-scenes identifier is a big part of how Google is making visual search smarter and more context-aware.