📷 Show Me! — Your Camera as a Learning Tool
What you will learn: How to point your camera at anything — a plant, a broken part, a confusing message — and have your device explain it to you. This is one of the most useful things your phone or tablet can do.
There are no right or wrong answers here, and nothing you do in this lesson can harm your device or cost you money. Let's explore!
The Big Idea — Your Camera Can Answer Questions
You have probably used your camera to take photos of people, places, and special moments. But here is something that might surprise you: your camera can now do much more than capture a memory. It can identify things for you.
Point your camera at a flower in the garden — and your phone will tell you what kind of flower it is. Point it at the battery compartment in your TV remote — and it will find you a replacement. See a strange message on your screen and not sure if it is safe? Take a photo of it and show it to someone who can help.
This is not a new app you have to download. It is already built into your device, waiting to be used. Millions of people use it every day — to settle arguments about plant names, to find parts for things that need fixing, to identify a bird that landed in the garden. Once you know it exists, you will wonder how you ever got along without it.
The best part? You do not need to type a single word. No spelling. No searching. Just point and tap.
- On iPhone or iPad: it is called "Visual Look Up"
- On Android phones: it is called "Google Lens"
Exercise 1 — Let's Try It: What Is That Plant?
For this first exercise, find something green nearby. It could be a houseplant on your windowsill, a flower in a pot, a weed you have been meaning to identify in the garden, or even a leaf you picked up on a walk. Any plant will work.
Do not worry about getting it right — there is no wrong plant to photograph. This is just practice, and it is genuinely fun.
On iPhone or iPad — Using Visual Look Up
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Open the Camera app. Look for the icon that looks like a small dark square with a simple camera outline in the centre — it is usually on your home screen.
📷 Image needed: The Camera app icon — a dark square with a simple camera shape in the centre
- Point your camera at the plant. Hold your phone or tablet steady about 30 centimetres (a foot) away from the plant. You should see it clearly on your screen.
- Take a photo. Press the large round white button at the bottom of your screen. The screen will flash briefly — that means the photo was taken.
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Open the Photos app. Look for the icon that looks like a multicoloured flower or pinwheel — it is usually at the bottom of your home screen.
🌸 Image needed: The Photos app icon — a colourful flower or pinwheel shape
- Tap the photo you just took. It will be the most recent one — at the bottom right of your photo library.
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Look for a small sparkle or star icon (✨) at the bottom of the screen. It appears automatically when your iPhone or iPad recognises something in the photo. Tap it.
✨ Image needed: The small sparkle/star icon that appears at the bottom of the screen inside the Photos app
- Read what your device found. It will show you the name of the plant and some information about it.
On Android — Using Google Lens
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Open the Google app. Look for the coloured G icon — red, yellow, green, and blue — on your home screen.
🔍 Image needed: The Google app icon — a colourful G
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Tap the coloured camera icon inside the search bar. It looks like a small camera with coloured dots. This opens Google Lens.
📷 Image needed: The Google Lens icon inside the search bar — a camera outline with coloured dots
- Point your camera at the plant. Hold your phone steady about 30 centimetres away. You will see a circle or frame appear on screen — centre the plant inside it.
- Wait a moment. Google Lens will automatically identify the plant — you do not even need to press a button.
- Read what it found. The plant name and information will appear at the bottom of your screen.
Stop. Breathe. Verify — do you actually want to visit that website?
Exercise 2 — Lost a Button? Need a Part? Show Your Camera.
Here is one of the most practical uses of Visual Look Up and Google Lens: finding replacement parts for everyday items around the home.
Imagine you need a new battery for your TV remote, a replacement for a broken kitchen appliance part, or a specific type of light bulb. Instead of trying to describe it to someone at the hardware store — or guessing the right words to type into a search — you can simply photograph it and let your camera do the work.
Find something nearby that might need a replacement — a battery, a small household item, even a type of tea bag or spice you are running low on. We are just practising, so do not worry about actually ordering anything.
On iPhone or iPad
- Open the Camera app and point it at the object — for example, a battery or a remote control.
- Take a photo by pressing the large round white button.
- Open the Photos app and tap the photo you just took.
- Look for the sparkle icon (✨) at the bottom of the screen and tap it.
- Read the results. You may see the product name, similar items, and sometimes where to buy one. You are just looking — nothing happens until you choose to tap and confirm a purchase.
On Android — Using Google Lens
- Open the Google app and tap the camera icon inside the search bar.
- Point your camera at the object — the battery, remote, or part you want to identify.
- Wait for Google Lens to recognise it. Results will appear at the bottom of your screen, often including the product name and shopping options.
- Browse the results. You are just looking — nothing is added to a cart or purchased automatically.
Exercise 3 — Not Sure What You're Looking At? Photograph It.
This is perhaps the most powerful exercise in this whole lesson. It is about what to do when you see something on your screen — or in real life — that looks strange, unfamiliar, or worrying, and you are not sure whether it is safe.
The answer is simple: photograph it. Then you can show that photograph to someone you trust — a family member, a friend, or a volunteer — and ask for their help. You do not have to figure it out alone, and you do not have to try to describe what you are seeing. A picture says everything.
How to Take a Screenshot (a Photo of Your Screen)
A screenshot is a photo of exactly what is on your screen at that moment. It captures everything — the message, the pop-up, the warning, the website — so you can share it or refer back to it later.
On iPhone or iPad:
Press the Side button (on the right edge of your device) and the Volume Up button (on the left edge) at the same time. The screen will flash white briefly, and you will hear a camera shutter sound. The screenshot is automatically saved to your Photos app.
On Android:
Press the Power button (usually on the right edge) and the Volume Down button (usually on the left edge) at the same time. The screen will flash and you may hear a sound. The screenshot is saved to your Photos or Gallery app.
What to Do With Your Screenshot
Once you have taken a screenshot, you have several options:
- Show it to a family member — send it by text message or show them in person. They can tell you whether it looks legitimate.
- Share it with Connected Canadians at 1-855-808-0505 — a trained volunteer can look at your screenshot and help you understand what it means.
- Send it to Cyber-Seniors at 1-844-217-3057 — senior volunteers who speak plain language and understand exactly what you are going through.
⚠️ Never tap "OK", "Allow", or "Download" on a message you do not recognise — even if it looks urgent. Take a screenshot first. Ask someone you trust. Then decide.
Stop — take your fingers off the screen.
Breathe — one slow, calm breath.
Verify — screenshot it and ask someone before doing anything.
Section 5 — You Are Not Alone
🤝 Need In-Person Help?
Your local community offers free technology support for seniors:
Your Local Library
Many libraries offer free tech workshops and one-on-one help sessions.
Senior Centre
Community centres often host technology classes and support groups.
Connected Canadians
Free one-on-one tech support by phone or video call.
1-855-808-0505
Cyber-Seniors
Free tech training from trained volunteers.
1-844-217-3057
Your camera is no longer just for photos — it is a learning tool, a safety tool, and a window to information. You are doing great, and your device is safe.
Feeling Stuck?
You do not have to figure this out alone. These free services are staffed by real, patient people who love helping:
Connected Canadians — 1-855-808-0505
Cyber-Seniors — 1-844-217-3057
Both services are free, Canadian, and specialise in helping older adults with technology at your own pace.
Quick Answers
The Show Me module provides visual, step-by-step demonstrations of common tasks on your iPhone or iPad. Instead of written instructions, you see screenshots and annotated images showing exactly what to tap and where to look.
No. Everything in the Show Me module works directly in your web browser on your iPad or iPhone. You do not need to download anything extra.
Yes. Each visual guide has a Print button at the bottom. When you print, only the images and steps are shown — without the navigation menus. These printed guides are useful to keep beside your device while practising.