For many people, your phone's camera is one of its most important aspects. It has a ton of uses, from superimposing wild creatures into reality with AR apps to taking sharp pictures in the dark.
You might be missing out on another major capability of your smartphone camera: it can work as a visual search engine and identify just about anything you see in the world. This can help with everything from general identification to shopping. Here are the best Android and iPhone apps that identify objects by picture.
1. Google Lens: For Identifying Everything
Google has brought its search engine chops to your camera. With computer vision, its Lens feature is capable of recognizing a ton of items. Google Lens understands a wide range of items including animal breeds, plants, flowers, branded gadgets, logos, and more. The biggest exception is people.
Plus, for compatible objects, Google Lens will also pull up shopping links if you'd like to buy them. Instead of a dedicated app, iPhone users can find Google Lens functionality in the Google Photos app for easy identification. We've looked at some of the interesting uses for Google Lens if you're curious.
Download: Google Lens for Android (Free)
Download: Google Photos for iOS (Free)
2. Pinterest: Art, Design, and Decor Identifier
Similarly, Pinterest is an excellent object identifier app, where you take a picture and it fetches links and pages for the objects it recognizes. Pinterest's solution can also match multiple items in a complex image, such as an outfit, and will prompt you to purchase items if possible.
Pinterest's visual search is primarily designed for what the social network is known for, like designs, outfits, and other similar categories. For purposes such as exploring nature, you'll have a better time with Google Lens.
Download: Pinterest for Android | iOS (Free)
3. Snapchat: Cars, Plants, Dogs, Music and More ID's
Snapchat's identification journey started when they partnered with Shazam to provide a music ID platform directly in a social networking app. Snapchat now uses AR technology to survey the world around you and identifies a variety of products including plants, car models, dog breeds, cat breeds, homework equations, and more.
This is incredibly useful as many users already use Snapchat for their social networking needs. There's no need to download a secondary app.
Once you use a lens to identify different objects, you can use the AR lenses to continue manipulating your environment. These include everything from puppy dog filters to environment warping.
Download: Snapchat for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
4. Amazon Shopping: Price Comparison and Amazon Availability
Although Amazon will only allow you to view products they and their associated retailers are selling, it is still a great option for identifying everyday common goods. It is also potentially the identifier with the easiest purchasing options.
You can take a photo with the Amazon search camera, scan a barcode, or upload a photo directly from your camera roll. Amazon will then automatically search the website for the most closely related purchase options available. You can then have these items delivered to your home in a few easy clicks.
Download: Amazon Shopping for Android | iOS (Free)
5. TapTapSee: Audible Item Recognition
TapTapSee has been designed specifically for those who face daily visual impairments.
TapTapSee is an audio interpreter. All you need to do is point your camera at any item and take a photo. TapTapSee will then identify the item and vocally tell you exactly what it is. The app will auto-focus your camera so there’s no need to worry about any shaky hands and even has a barcode/QR reader for difficult packaging.
You can upload photos from your camera roll for identification and even save them to your phone afterward with the provided definitions for easy reuse. Please note that you'll need to turn on Apple's VoiceOver setting for this app to function. This app is only one of a list of apps that are assisting visually impaired people to navigate better every day.
Download: TapTapSee for Android | iOS (Free)
6. Image Recognition and Searcher: Image Identifier
Although Image Recognition and Searcher is designed for reverse image searching, you can also use the camera option to identify any physical photo or object.
After taking a picture or reverse image searching, the app will provide you with a list of web addresses relating directly to the image or item at hand. Images can also be uploaded from your camera roll or copied and pasted directly into the app for easy use.
Google, Bing, and Yandex are the three services used by the app. These search engines will provide you with websites, social media accounts, purchase options, and more to help discover the source of your image or item. This app is only available for iOS.
Download: Image Recognition and Searcher for iOS (Free, subscription available)
7. PictureThis: Plant Identifier
If you’re an avid gardener or nature lover, you absolutely need to download PictureThis. This app is perfect for identifying that pesky weed that’s killing your cucumbers or discovering the beautiful moss that is covering your campground.
Using this app is incredibly simple. Take a picture of the plant you are hoping to identify and let PictureThis do the work! It will provide you with the name of the plant and all necessary information including potential pests, diseases, watering tips, and more! The app also provides you with watering reminders and access to experts who can help you diagnose your sick houseplants.
Download: PictureThis: Plant Identifier for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)
8. Vivino: Wine Identifier
Vivino is an app that helps you buy better quality wine. All you need to do is shoot a picture of the wine label you're interested in.
Vivino will then process it and present you with some information to help you decide whether you should buy it. It shows details such as how popular it is, the taste description, ingredients, how old it is, and more. On top of that, you'll find user reviews and ratings from Vivino's 30 million-large community.
Download: Vivino for Android | iOS (Free)
"What Is This?" These Apps Have the Answer!
Thanks to the advancements in image-recognition technology, unknown objects in the world around you no longer remain a mystery. With these apps, you have the ability to ID just about everything, whether it's a plant, a rock, some jewelry, or a coin.
At the heart of these platforms lies a network of machine learning algorithms (like those you can create with Microsoft Lobe). They're becoming increasingly common across digital products, so you should have a fundamental understanding of them. Here's a quick guide to machine learning and how its algorithms work.
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