Visual Look Up can identify many things already shown in a photo or video, including plants, pets and breeds, landmarks, statues, art, books, and food. Instead of typing a search query, you open the image and let iPhone offer related information.
Visual Look Up is available on supported iPhones running iOS 15 or later. Specific categories, languages, and regions vary, so not every iPhone shows the same results.
Does This Affect You?
Use this if you took or saved a photo of something and want a quick clue about what it is. The feature appears inside Photos, Safari images, paused videos, and Quick Look previews when iPhone recognizes enough detail.
Identify an Object in a Photo
- Open the Photos app.
- Open the photo that contains the plant, pet, place, artwork, food, or object you want to identify.
- Tap the Info button at the bottom of the screen. If Visual Look Up is available, the Info button shows small stars.
- Tap Look Up at the top of the information sheet.
- Review the results, which may include Siri Knowledge details, related web links, similar plants or pets, or other matches.
Compare the results with the actual photo before trusting the first answer. Similar plants, breeds, and landmarks can be close enough to confuse automatic recognition.
Use Visual Look Up from Camera, Video, Safari, or Quick Look
- Point the Camera app at the object, or open a photo or video where the subject is clearly visible.
- If you are using a video, pause on a sharp frame.
- Look for the small stars icon or the starred Info button.
- Tap the stars icon or Info button.
- Tap Look Up and review the suggested information.
You may also see Visual Look Up on images in Safari and in Quick Look previews. The same stars icon is the sign that iPhone found something it can try to identify.
More Visual Look Up Notes
Food Can Show Recipe Ideas
When iPhone recognizes a dish, Visual Look Up may suggest similar recipes in addition to naming the food. This is useful for menus, meals, and saved food photos.
Image Quality Matters
Clear, bright, in-focus photos work best. Blurry images, unusual angles, tiny subjects, reflections, or crowded backgrounds can prevent the stars icon from appearing at all.
There Is No Force Button
If Visual Look Up does not detect anything, there is no manual override that makes it analyze the photo anyway. Try another image, crop closer, or use a normal web search.
Check Region and Language
If the stars icon never appears on any suitable photo, check Settings > General > Language & Region. Visual Look Up is not available everywhere or in every language.
Sources
- Apple Support: Use Visual Look Up to identify objects in your photos and videos on iPhone
- Apple Support: Look up what is in a photo with your iPhone or iPad
- Apple Support: Get to know Photos on iPhone