Visual Lookup Not Working in Photos App? Here’s How to Fix It

After updating to the latest iOS version, like iOS 18, many iPhone users noticed something frustrating: Visual Lookup — the feature that identifies plants, animals, landmarks, and more — stopped working. The familiar “i” icon is still there in the Photos app, but it doesn’t show any additional info or recognition like it used to.

If this sounds familiar, then this article is for you. Users with various iPhone models, including the latest ones, have reported the issue. The good news? There are some reliable fixes you can try.

Before you do anything, make sure your iPhone is updated to the latest version of iOS: Go to Settings > General > Software Update.

If you are unable to identify plants, we wrote about that too.

Visual Lookup lets you learn more about what’s in your photos — whether it’s a famous landmark, a type of flower, a dog breed, or even a dish of food. It can also suggest recipes based on food pictures, giving you more than just a name. To use Visual Lookup, open a photo or pause a video on the frame you’re interested in. If you see the Info (“i”) button with a star icon on it — like a paw print for animals, a leaf for plants, or a fork and knife for food — that means your iPhone has recognized something and Visual Lookup is ready to use.

If you only see the Info icon, this indicates Visual Lookup could not idendify the object, like in the screenshot below:

1. First: Check “Show Related Content” Setting

This is the most common fix, and it’s surprisingly easy to miss. After the iOS 18 update, the setting that powers Visual Lookup might have been turned off. Here’s what to do:

• Open the Settings app.
• Scroll down and tap Search (look for it in the main list as a setting — not in the search bar).
• Turn on Show Related Content.
• Once this setting is enabled, force-quit the Photos app and reopen it. In some cases, you’ll need to restart your iPhone for the change to take effect.

Many users reported that this alone solved the problem — instantly restoring the Visual Lookup feature.

2. Visual Lookup Only Works on Certain Photos

Even with the correct settings, Visual Lookup doesn’t work on every image. Here’s what we’ve seen:

• It works best on photos you’ve taken yourself, not on saved or downloaded images frome elsewhere, like the Internet.
• Photos must have clear, recognizable subjects like animals, plants, or landmarks.
• Some users say older photos that used to work now no longer trigger Visual Lookup — a likely side effect of the iOS update.

3. Language and Region Settings Matter

Visual Lookup is only supported in certain languages and regions. If your phone is set to an unsupported language, the feature might simply disappear.

Make sure your iPhone is using a supported language and region, as of now:

• English
• French
• German
• Italian
• Japanese
• Spanish

If your phone is set to a different language, try switching to one of these. Restart your device afterward and check again.

Region: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, etc.

4. Device Compatibility: Is Your iPhone Supported?

Visual Lookup only works on iPhones with an A12 Bionic chip or newer. That includes:

• iPhone SE (2nd generation and later)
• iPhone XR
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16e
• Your iPhone must also be running iOS 15 or later.

If you’re using an older iPhone model, like the iPhone X or iPhone 8, unfortunately, Visual Lookup and similar features like Live Text won’t be available.

5. Restart or Reset If Needed

If toggling “Show Related Content” doesn’t bring Visual Lookup back, try these next steps:

• Restart your iPhone.
• Turn the setting off (Show Related Content, see the first step above), restart your phone, then turn it back on again.
• Reset People & Pets suggestions by going to: Settings > Apps > Photos > Reset People & Pets Suggestions. This may help several users bring back Visual Lookup.