Visual Look Up is one of the most useful features hiding in macOS, and almost nobody knows it is there. Point it at a photo and your Mac will tell you the plant, the dog breed, the landmark, the food, or what those cryptic laundry-care symbols on a shirt tag actually mean. It can even lift the subject out of the background so you can drop it into a message or document. Here is how to use every part of it.
What Visual Look Up is (and how it differs from Live Text)
These two features are often confused, so it helps to keep them straight:
- Live Text reads and copies text inside an image — a phone number on a business card, an address in a photo, a receipt total.
- Visual Look Up identifies the subject of a photo — a plant, an animal, a landmark, a food dish, a laundry symbol — and links you to information about it.
You can use both on the same picture. If you want the text-copying feature, see our guide on how to use Live Text on a Mac.
What Visual Look Up can identify
- Plants and flowers — great for the garden or a hike.
- Animals — including dog and cat breeds and many birds and insects.
- Landmarks and buildings — famous statues, monuments and architecture.
- Food and dishes — with links to recipes.
- Laundry-care symbols — those little wash/dry/iron icons on clothing tags.
- Art — many well-known works and their artists.
What you need
Visual Look Up needs macOS Ventura (13) or later and an Apple-silicon Mac (M1, M2, M3 or newer). Every Mac we sell — from the M1 MacBook Air at $569.99 to the M2 Air at $974.99 — supports it out of the box. You also need an internet connection, because the identification is done with Apple servers. Support is best in English but keeps expanding to more languages and regions.
How to use Visual Look Up in the Photos app
- Open the Photos app and double-click a picture to open it full size.
- Look at the toolbar at the bottom (or the info button, the small i). If the photo contains something Visual Look Up recognizes, the i button shows a small icon on it — a leaf for a plant, a paw for an animal, a landmark icon, and so on. You may also see stars or sparkles appear on the subject.
- Click that info button, then click Look Up (it will name the category, e.g. Look Up — Plant).
- A card appears with the identification, similar matches, and links to learn more (Siri Knowledge, Wikipedia, maps for landmarks, recipes for food).
Tip: if you do not see the icon, the photo may be too blurry, the subject too small, or macOS simply is not confident. Try a clearer, closer shot.
How to use it in Quick Look (without opening Photos)
You do not even need the Photos app. Select any image file in Finder and press the Space bar to open Quick Look. If the image has a recognizable subject, the same Visual Look Up icon appears in the top-right of the preview window — click it to see the result. This works on screenshots and downloaded images too.
How to use it in Safari and other apps
On a web page in Safari, Control-click (right-click) an image and, if it is supported, you will see a Look Up option in the menu. The feature also surfaces in Messages, Mail and Notes when you open an attached photo.
Decode laundry-care symbols
This is the sleeper hit. Snap a photo of the care tag inside a garment, open it, and run Visual Look Up — your Mac will translate each wash, bleach, dry, iron and dry-clean symbol into plain English. No more guessing whether that sweater can go in the dryer.
Lift a subject out of the background
A closely related trick: in Photos, Quick Look, or many other apps, click and hold on the subject of a photo (a person, a pet, an object). macOS outlines it with a shimmer and lifts it free of the background. You can then:
- Drag it straight into a Messages conversation, an email, Notes, Pages or Keynote.
- Control-click and choose Copy to paste it elsewhere, or Share to send it.
It is the fastest way to make a quick cut-out sticker of your dog without opening any editing software.
Troubleshooting: no Look Up icon appears
- Check your macOS version — Apple menu > About This Mac. You need Ventura or later.
- Check your connection — Visual Look Up needs the internet to return results.
- Try a clearer photo — good lighting and a larger, centered subject help a lot.
- Not everything is supported — obscure plants, mixed-breed pets, or unusual objects may not resolve.
- Region/language — coverage is widest in English-speaking regions and still growing.
Frequently asked questions
Does Visual Look Up work offline?
No. The recognition happens with Apple servers, so you need an internet connection. The photos themselves stay private to your account.
Which Macs support Visual Look Up?
Apple-silicon Macs (M1 and newer) running macOS Ventura or later. Intel Macs do not support it. Every Mac in our lineup qualifies.
Why is there no Look Up icon on my photo?
Either the subject is not recognized, the image is too small or blurry, you are offline, or your macOS is older than Ventura.
Is Visual Look Up the same as Live Text?
No. Live Text copies text from an image; Visual Look Up identifies the subject (plant, animal, landmark, laundry symbol). See our Live Text guide.
Want a Mac that does all this for less?
Every certified-refurbished Mac we sell runs the latest macOS features — Visual Look Up included — for hundreds less than new. Browse our Apple clearance deals to grab an M1 or M2 MacBook Air backed by our one-year warranty, or read more Mac guides.