Sometimes, even as a tech reporter, you can be caught out by how quickly technology improves. Case in point: it was only today that I learned that my iPhone has been offering a feature I’ve long desired —the ability to identify plants and flowers from just a photo.
It’s true that various third-party apps have offered this function for years, but last time I tried them I was disappointed by their speed and accuracy. And, yes, there’s Google Lens and Snapchat Scan, but it’s always less convenient to open up an app I wouldn’t otherwise use.
But, since the introduction of iOS 15 last September, Apple has offered its own version of this visual search feature. It’s called Visual Look Up, and it’s pretty damn good.
It works very simply. Just open up a photo or screenshot in the Photos app and look for the blue “i” icon underneath. If it has a little sparkly ring around it, then iOS has found something in the photo it can identify using machine learning. Tap the icon, then click “Look Up” and it’ll try and dredge up some useful information.
It doesn’t just work for plants and flowers, either, but for landmarks, art, pets, and “other objects.” It’s not perfect, of course, but it’s surprised me more times than it’s let me down. Here are some more examples just from my camera roll:
Although Apple announced this feature last year at WWDC, it hasn’t exactly been trumpeting its availability. (I spotted it via a link in one of my favorite tech newsletters, The Overspill.) Even the official support page for Visual Look Up gives mixed messages, telling you in one place it’s “U.S. only” then listing other compatible regions on a different page.
Visual Look Up is still limited in its availability, but access has expanded since launch. It’s now available in English in the US, Australia, Canada, UK, Singapore, and Indonesia; in French in France; in German in Germany; in Italian in Italy; and in Spanish in Spain, Mexico, and the US.
It’s a great feature, but it’s also got me wondering what else visual search could do. Imagine snapping a picture of your new houseplant, for example, only for Siri to ask “want me to set up reminders for a watering schedule?” —or, if you take a picture of a landmark on holiday, for Siri to search the web to find opening hours and where to buy tickets.
I learned long ago that it’s foolish to pin your hopes on Siri doing anything too advanced. But these are the sorts of features we might eventually get with future AR or VR headsets. Let’s hope if Apple does introduce this sort of functionality, it makes a bigger splash.
FAQs
Introduced with iOS 15, Visual Look Ups are Apple's version of Google Lens, where your iPhone (or iPad) can perform a search on the subjects or contents of an image. One of the things that Visual Look Up is great at identifying is (you guessed it) plants! This feature comes in extremely handy in a few different ways.
What is the best free plant identification app for iPhone? ›
PlantNet was fast and highly accurate in our plant identification tests. Given that PlantNet is also free and easy to use, we recommend it as the go-to plant identification app for most people.
What is the iPhone app that identifies plants? ›
PlantSnap gives you all the information you need. The PlantSnap plant identifier makes it much easier to find out! Just take a picture using the app and our database will find all the information about it.
Does iPhone have a free plant identifier app? ›
What you need is PlantSnap, an app that takes advantage of the machine-learning framework built into iOS to instantly identify more than 300,000 species of plants, flowers, and trees. All you have to do is take a photo. Simply snap a photo of a plant to identify the species.
How do I use my phone camera to identify plants? ›
How to identify a plant with the Google Lens app (Android) Open the Google Lens app. Tap “Seach With Your Camera” and grant the app approval to use your camera. To take a photo of the plant you want Google Lens to identify, tap the shutter button in the bottom center of the screen.
Is there a 100% free plant identification? ›
If you're looking for a free app that will accurately and quickly identify a plant—without bombarding you with ads or extraneous information—PlantNet Plant Identification is that app.
Is PlantSnap really free? ›
PlantSnap is a good compromise between free and paid features; you can use it for free with ads or upgrade to an ad-free version for $2.99 per month ($19.99 annually or $29.99 lifetime).
Is there a free online plant identifier app? ›
The Best Plant Identification Apps
- PlantSnap.
- Planta.
- Leafsnap.
- GardenAnswers.
- iNaturalist.
- Pl@ntNet.
- PictureThis.
- Plantix.
Now, when Macro Mode is enabled, you'll see an orange flower icon in the lower corner of your viewfinder. Once that flower icon is visible, your iPhone won't engage other cameras or reframe your shot (unless you completely change focus or move your camera around a lot).
How much does PictureThis plant identifier app cost? ›
Top In-App Purchases
| Title | Duration | Price |
|---|
| PictureThis Premium (Annual) | Annual | $29.99 |
| PictureThis Plus (Annual) | Annual | $34.99 |
| PictureThis Family Plan (Annual) | Annual | $49.99 |
| PictureThis Pro (Monthly) | Monthly | $7.99 |
6 more rowsPictureThis is a free download, but you will immediately see prompts to sign up for a subscription or a free 7-day trial via an in-app purchase. Currently, a subscription isn't required, and you can simply tap the X or the Cancel button in the upper-right corner to close that window and return to the app.
How do I take a picture of something and have my phone tell me what it is? ›
Google Goggles is now Google Lens
In August 2018, Google Goggles was retired and replaced by Google Lens. The idea is the same: Someone can view or take a picture of an item and Google will tell you what it is.
What app scans your plants and tells you what it needs? ›
6 Best plant identification apps
- Blossom. Photo: Blossom. Price: $30/year, with a 3-day free trial. ...
- PictureThis. Pin It. Photo: PictureThis. ...
- Plantum. Pin It. Photo: Plantum. ...
- Google. Pin It. Photo: Google Lens. ...
- Seek by iNaturalist. Pin It. Photo: Seek by iNaturalist. ...
- PlantNet. Pin It. Photo: PlantNet.
Visual Look Up works on many of the best iPhones, including the latest models like the iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max. In fact, it works on models dating back to the iPhone SE (2nd Gen and later) and the iPhone XR. Depending on the image you look up, the wealth of information provided varies.
Is Picture This Plant identifier a good app? ›
For kids and adults with an interest in science, gardening, and horticulture, this app is a valuable tool, but unfortunately with requirements such as social sharing on Facebook, logging in to an account, and watching irrelevant ads being required to use it for free, it's not great for young kids to use on their own.
Is there a plant app that tells you what they need? ›
Planta knows! Just add them to the app and get notified when it's time to water, fertilize, mist, repot, and clean (yes, it's a thing)! - Plant identification: Take a photo of your plant and find out everything you need!
