How to use Visual Look Up on an iPhone

Seeing the raging popularity of Google Lens, Apple came up with its own version called Visual Look Up, built right into the iPhone and iPad. First launched with iOS 15, the iPhone’s Visual Look Up works a lot like Google Lens. It can scan your photos and videos to identify landmarks, plants, animals, and even food items and instantly give you details about what you’re looking at. Visual Look Up also lets you lift subjects right out of images to use in other apps, adding a layer of flexibility to your images.  

And if you’re photographing a meal, it can identify specific dishes and even suggest similar recipes. So, if you’re ready to try it out for yourself and see what Visual Look Up can do, here’s how to use it on your iPhone. 

How to use Visual Look up on iPhone?

As mentioned, Apple’s Visual Look Up on iPhone lets you identify objects in photos and videos, making it easier to learn about the world around you. To use the feature, just make sure your iPhone is running iOS 17. Once you’re set up, here’s how to get started:

1. Check that your iPhone is running iOS 17

To make the most of Visual Look Up, make sure that your iPhone is updated to iOS 17. This is pretty easy to do as all you need to do is just head to Settings > General > Software Update and check if any updates are available. If iOS 17 hasn’t been installed yet, follow the instructions to update.

2. Open a photo or pause a video

Once you’ve updated, open the photo that has the object you’re curious about and view it in full-screen. If it’s a video, simply pause at the frame that shows the object you want to identify. Look for the Info button, located to the left of the Delete button. 

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If the Info button has a small icon with stars, like a paw for animals or a leaf for plants, Visual Look Up is active for that image. This icon tells you that Visual Look Up has detected an object it can identify.

3. Access Visual Look Up results

When you see the starred Info button, tap it, then choose Look Up at the top of the photo information section. Visual Look Up will display information related to what it has identified in the image.

For example, tapping Look Up Plant might give you information about its care requirements, while Look Up Art could lead to details about the artist or the history behind a piece. Furthermore, this feature not only identifies common subjects like plants, animals, and food but also expands to practical things like laundry symbols or dashboard icons.

How to use Visual Look Up in other apps?

You can also use Visual Look Up in apps like Notes, Mail, or Messages. Just tap and hold an image to select it, then tap the Info button to see what it can identify. If you’re in Safari, you’ll see the Look Up option in the menu. 

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When you tap the icon that appears with the image (like a trophy for sports gear or a book for literature), you’ll access Visual Look Up results.  

While Visual Look Up is pretty accurate for most cases, it isn’t available for every image and doesn’t always get it right. If the Info button doesn’t display stars or a related icon, it means there’s no recognisable object in that particular image. Additionally, as advanced as Visual Look Up is, it’s not always perfect and might occasionally misidentify a breed or an object, especially if the image quality is low or the subject is obscured.