Google Lens bug traps Chrome users by hiding the close button

What went wrong

A bug in Google Lens stopped Chrome users from closing the feature's side panel, according to Android Authority. The problem appears to stem from a CSS issue introduced in a Chrome update to the Lens overlay.

One poster on Chrome Help Support traced the fault to broken padding and margin calculations in the updated side panel, Android Authority reports. In practice, that left the overlay without a working way to dismiss it.

Google says it is fixed

A Google employee in the Reddit Google Help Community said the issue has been resolved, according to Android Authority. The company's position is that the fix is in place.

That confirmation is the clearest official statement in the material. It does not specify which Chrome version carries the fix or when it was rolled out.

Some users still stuck

Not everyone affected agrees the problem is gone. Android Authority reports that some users replied that they were still hitting the same issue even after updating Chrome.

Those reports are user accounts rather than confirmed findings, and the material does not say how widespread the remaining problem is. Readers still affected should check Google's official Chrome support channels for guidance rather than relying on workarounds circulating online.

Why it matters

Lens is an AI-powered search tool that lets people look things up with images instead of words, and in Chrome it runs as an overlay panel. When the panel cannot be closed, it can block the page underneath and interrupt normal browsing.

The episode also shows how a small styling error in a widely distributed browser update can affect a large number of people, and why reports of a fix and reports from users do not always line up immediately.