Apple has packed contemporary iPhones with a surprising number of smart features that many users never touch. One of the best hidden tools is Visual Look Up, an Apple Intelligence-enhanced feature built directly into the Photos app that helps identify objects in your pictures.
Snap a photo of a flower, dog, landmark, painting, food dish, or book cover, and your iPhone can often recognize it, provide context, and point you toward useful web results. Visual Look Up is available on the iPhone 17 and iPhone 16 series, using the Camera Control button. Visual Look Up is accessible using the Action button or Lock Screen on devices like iPhone 17e, iPhone 16e, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Apple's Visual Look Up requires no extra app download or subscription. If you own a supported iPhone running a recent version of iOS, there’s a good chance Visual Look Up is already sitting on your device waiting to be used.
In this guide, we’ll cover what Visual Look Up does, which iPhones support it, how to use it, and how to fix it when it stops working.
What is Apple's Visual Look Up?
Visual Look Up is Apple’s image recognition feature built into the Photos app, leveraging Visual Intelligence from ChatGPT. By clicking and holding the Camera Control, you can look up details about a restaurant a friend was at, learn the name and habits of an animal you saw while hiking, or even translate text in real time.
When your iPhone detects something recognizable in a photo, it can analyze the subject and provide information. It's similar to Google's Circle-to-Search feature. Instead of launching another app, you simply open your photo and tap the info button.
Depending on the image, you can discover information on:
- Plant species
- Dog and cat breeds
- Food names and recipes
- Books
- Landmarks
- Paintings and artwork
- Symbols and signs
- Everyday objects
Visual Look Up is an often-overlooked feature on iPhone. With so many real-world uses, we broke down the feature's intricacies and the best ways to use it.
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How to use Visual Look Up
Step 1: Take a photo
To begin using Visual Look Up, you'll first want to take a photo using the Camera app. Visual Look Up, as the name suggests, works best when the photo is clear and in focus. So, ensure the photo is taken using good lighting, the subject is in frame, and it's in focus. As mentioned, Visual Look Up works best for plants, pets, food, books, and landmarks.
Image: Steve Vegvari | WhistleOut
Step 2: View the image in Photos
Next, go to your Photos app and open the image. Look for the Info icon (i) at the bottom of the screen. If that icon has a sparkle or star effect, your iPhone has found something it can analyze. That sparkle is the real signal that Visual Look Up is ready.
Image: Steve Vegvari | WhistleOut
Step 3: Tap the Info button
Tap the starred Info icon. Here, you’ll see photo details, plus a Look Up prompt tied to the subject. Your device can provide prompts such as "Look Up Plant" or "Look Up Dog". Tap Look Up, and your iPhone will display likely matches, similar web images, and contextual information.
Image: Steve Vegvari | WhistleOut
Results vary depending on the subject. Sometimes it’s highly accurate. Other times it’s completely (and humorously) wrong.
Real-world examples where Visual Look Up is useful
Apple's Visual Look Up might not be a feature you organically use on a day-to-day basis, but it's one worth adopting in certain scenarios.
- For instance, you might see an interesting plant or flower on a walk. Snap a photo of it and identify the species instantly.
- Visual Look Up can also recognize common dog breeds. It’s especially fun at parks or when meeting new dogs.
- Take a picture of a meal, and your iPhone may identify it or suggest recipes you can use to replicate it.
- Take a photo of an album cover or movie poster, and it may identify the title or point you toward more information.
- Road tripping across the country? Use Visual Look Up to learn about the history and culture. The identification is really handy when visiting cities, museums, or monuments you don’t immediately recognize.
Which iPhones support Visual Look Up?
Visual Look Up launched with iOS 15 and has improved significantly through the years and now works on iOS 26. So, the latest iPhone 17 series readily supports Visual Look Up, as do older iPhone models.
iPhone Models Supporting Visual Look Up
| iPhone Model | Supported |
|---|---|
| iPhone SE (2nd gen) and newer | Yes |
| iPhone 11 series and newer | Yes |
| iPhone 12 series | Yes |
| iPhone 13 series | Yes |
| iPhone 14 series | Yes |
| iPhone 15 series | Yes |
| iPhone 16 series | Yes |
| iPhone 17 series | Yes |
Recommended software
Use the latest available iOS version for the best results, as Apple continually improves its recognition models. If your iPhone can run modern iOS versions, Visual Look Up usually improves with updates.
Why is Visual Look Up not working?
If Apple's Visual Look Up isn’t appearing, there are a few common causes. The main reason Visual Look Up may not work is that you're trying to use it on an unsupported iPhone. Older devices may not include the required on-device processing features. If you’re using an older iPhone XR, XS, or earlier hardware, compatibility may be limited.
Additionally, older software versions can break or limit Visual Look Up. If you believe you're operating on an older version of iOS, go to Settings > General > Software Update to install the latest version available.
Visual Look Up relies on Apple intelligence systems tied to Siri and Search. If you navigate to Settings > Siri & Search, scroll down to ensure the relevant content toggles are enabled.
Finally, Visual Look Up availability can vary by region and language settings. Visual Look Up primarily supports English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. Supported languages have expanded over time, but some countries still receive features later than others. Try setting the device language to English temporarily if needed.
Apple Visual Look Up: FAQ
How do I access Visual Look Up?
Open a photo in the Photos app and tap the sparkling Info icon if available.
What objects can Visual Look Up identify?
You can use Visual Look Up to identify plants, animals, food, books, landmarks, artwork, symbols, and many everyday objects.
Can Visual Look Up identify dog breeds?
Yes, it often recognizes common dog breeds and mixed traits, though results vary.
Why don’t I have Visual Look Up on my iPhone?
Your iPhone model may be unsupported, running an older version of iOS, or have Siri/Search settings disabled.
Steve Vegvari
Steve Vegvari is a 10-year writer in the gaming and tech space, writing for several Canadian publications. He's covered everything from the latest marquee games and hardware to smartphones, smart home devices, TVs, and smart lights. Steve emphasizes his love of weird, experimental tech while uncovering the pros and cons of the Canadian mobile market.
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