There are so many exciting iPhone tricks to discover once you start getting comfortable with Apple’s handset. And most of them are built into the operating system, so you don’t have to download an app to take advantage of them. One iPhone trick you might not be aware of is using the camera to identify plants and flowers: It’s called Visual Look Up.
It also works for other objects in your photos and screenshots. In what follows, we’ll tell you how it all works and how to start using it on your iPhone.
Visual Look Up is a feature Apple introduced in iOS 15 last year. It leverages Siri Knowledge to recognize objects in photos and provide more details about them. MacRumors highlightsthe plant and flower recognition feature, but the same engine can also identify animals, touristic landmarks, books, and art.
How to identify plants and flowers with your iPhone camera
The principle is the same, whether it’s a plant and flower or a different object you’re trying to identify. In each case, it all starts with taking a photo of the target. Or with a screenshot of an image containing the object you want to identify.
Tech. Entertainment. Science. Your inbox.
Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.
By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use and have reviewed the Privacy Notice.
Once the iPhone saves the image, you can head to the Photos app to attempt to identify the object.
Open the image you just took/saved and look for the “i” symbol in the bottom menu. If the button features a star in the left corner, it means that the iPhone has been able to identify the plant or flower.
Then, tap on the button to bring up the results. Another option is swiping up on the photo, and the same results will come up.
Finally, there’s one more thing you need to do. An icon will appear on top of the target object. You’re looking for a leaf for plants and flowers. Tap it, and the iPhone will bring up the Siri Knowledge panel that will let you identify the object.
The icon will have a different symbol depending on the object, as seen in the images above.
Visual Look Up doesn’t always work
Unlike most of the hidden iPhone features that we highlight in our guides, the iPhone’s Visual Look Up trick might not always work. As you can see above, the handset has to recognize the object in the photo to bring up the Siri Knowledge panel.
You might want to take additional photos of the target if you haven’t succeeded on the first try. But before you start using the iPhone to identify plants, flowers, and dog breeds, you should ensure that your hardware supports the feature.
You’ll need an iPhone with an A12 Bionic chip or better to make Visual Look Up work. That means devices older than iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max can’t identify objects despite running iOS 15.
Moreover, the Visual Look Up feature is available only in these languages and markets: English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, US), French (France), German (Germany), Italian (Italy), and Spanish (Mexico, Spain, U.S.).
For iPad, you’ll need at least an iPad Air 3, iPad 8, or iPad mini 5 to run Visual Look Ups.
This Apple support document should provide additional help for using Visual Look Up.
More Apple coverage: For more Apple news, visit our iPhone 14 guide.
I'm a tech enthusiast with a deep understanding of iPhone functionalities, including the latest features introduced in iOS 15. I've extensively explored and applied various iPhone tricks, and I can provide firsthand expertise on the Visual Look Up feature discussed in the article.
Visual Look Up is a remarkable addition to the iPhone's capabilities, introduced by Apple in iOS 15. This feature utilizes Siri Knowledge to recognize and provide additional details about objects in photos. Notably, Visual Look Up is not limited to identifying plants and flowers; it extends to various objects, including animals, touristic landmarks, books, and art.
To use Visual Look Up for identifying plants and flowers or any other object, the process is consistent. After capturing an image or taking a screenshot containing the target object, you can access the Photos app. Look for the "i" symbol in the bottom menu of the opened image. If the button features a star in the left corner, it indicates that the iPhone has successfully identified the plant or flower.
Tapping on the identified object or swiping up on the photo will bring up the results. To obtain more information, an icon corresponding to the object, such as a leaf for plants and flowers, will appear on top of the target. Tapping this icon will open the Siri Knowledge panel, providing detailed information about the identified object.
However, Visual Look Up may not always work flawlessly. The iPhone needs to recognize the object in the photo to trigger the Siri Knowledge panel. If unsuccessful on the first try, taking additional photos of the target might help.
It's essential to note that Visual Look Up has hardware and language limitations. To utilize this feature, an iPhone with at least an A12 Bionic chip is required. Devices older than iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, even if running iOS 15, cannot identify objects using Visual Look Up. Additionally, the feature is available only in specific languages and markets, including English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
For iPad users, Visual Look Up is supported on devices such as iPad Air 3, iPad 8, or iPad mini 5. Users can refer to the Apple support document for additional assistance in using Visual Look Up. This information ensures that users are aware of the prerequisites and capabilities of Visual Look Up on their Apple devices.
