Visual Look Up allows your device to recognize objects found in photos and gives you additional information about them. Although it’s a handy feature, it doesn’t always work.
So, if you’re having trouble using the Visual Look Up feature on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, here are some reasons why it might not be working and what you can do to fix it.
1. You’re Using an Unsupported Language
Whether Visual Look Up will work or not depends upon the language set on your iPhone. So, if you’re using an unsupported language, the feature will not work as intended. To make sure you’re able to use the feature, change your primary iPhone language to one of the currently supported languages.
Here’s how to change the primary language on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max:
- Go to Settings > General > Language & Region.
- Tap Add Language, then select any one of the six supported languages—English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, or Spanish—and set it as the primary language.
2. Siri Look Up Is Not Enabled
Visual Look Up is much like a new skill your virtual assistant Siri has learned. No content will show up if you don’t allow Siri to use on-device learning to suggest relevant information based on your device usage. To enable this, here’s what you need to do:
- Head to Settings, then scroll down to Search.
- Toggle the switch on for Show Related Content.
3. There Is a Problem With the Image
Visual Look Up doesn’t work well when there are too many objects in the picture, but it usually works fine when only a single object is in the photo. Hence, when you take a photo, try to ensure it’s centered and focusing on a single object.
Although Visual Look Up requires an ideal image to function at its best, it’s still one of the powerful hidden iOS features. Sometimes, you may be able to detect an object even with an obstructed view.
In some cases, Visual Look Up may detect more than one object in the photo, causing an error in retrieving results.
If you’ve taken a photo of the object on its own and your device still can’t detect the object, the quality of the image may be a culprit. Check for lighting issues and glare before taking a photo, as you can greatly improve the accuracy of Visual Look Up if you master how to take photos on an iPhone.
4. You Aren’t Connected to the Internet
Siri requires an internet connection to fetch relevant data whenever you tap the starred Info button. You’ll know your issue is a lack of internet connection when your iPhone 18 Pro Max shows the starred Info button, but you get a No Content Found displayed in the results.
5. The Object Isn’t Supported Yet
Despite the constant updates the feature has received since its introduction alongside iOS 15, Visual Look Up is still largely dependent on machine learning algorithms. It means that while the feature does get better over time, there’s a chance it won’t recognize the object you want to learn more about.
So, if you know that the item you’re trying to learn about is supported, ensure that you try a different image from the internet because—as mentioned earlier—the first image you chose could also pose an issue, not letting Visual Look Up work.
6. There May Be a Software Glitch
Like other features on the iPhone, Visual Look Up may not work due to random errors. If none of the steps listed above help, restart your iPhone 18 Pro Max and check for new iOS updates to clear up the software bugs and other glitches that may be causing an error.
Ready to Look Up Some Photos?
Visual Look Up is a simple feature that makes it easier to learn about the various things around you, be it a pet, plant, or more. So make sure to try out each of the suggested workarounds, as various reasons can prevent the Visual Look Up feature from working as intended.
Apple has continuously improved Visual Look Up since its introduction alongside iOS 15, so if your initial impressions weren’t great, it’s worth giving it a shot again, especially if you’re a power user who often uses the many unique features of an iPhone—like Live Text, for example.
