Artificial intelligence
Show Me! Your Camera as a Learning Tool
About 20 minutes, at your own pace
You are in a safe place. Nothing on this page can harm your device.
Your camera can now do much more than take photos: it can identify things for you. Point it at a flower, a battery, or a confusing message on your screen, and let your device explain what you are looking at. No typing, no spelling, no searching.
A bonus lesson, completely optional and genuinely fun
There are no right or wrong answers here, and nothing you do in this lesson can harm your device or cost you money. Millions of people already use this feature every day: to settle arguments about plant names, to find replacement parts for things that need fixing, to identify a bird that landed in the garden.
It is not a new app you have to download. It is already built into your device, waiting to be used. Once you know it exists, you will wonder how you ever got along without it.
Pointing your camera at something and getting an answer can feel a little like magic, and a little suspicious. Both reactions are fair. This is a bonus lesson, which means there is nothing to finish and nothing to get wrong. Point the camera at anything. The worst that happens is a silly answer you can laugh at.
The big idea: your camera can answer questions
You have probably used your camera to capture people, places, and special moments. But point it at a flower in the garden, and your phone can tell you what kind of flower it is. Point it at the battery compartment of your TV remote, and it can find you the right replacement. See a strange message on your screen and not sure if it is safe? Take a picture of it and show it to someone who can help.
On an iPhone or iPad it is called Visual Look Up. On Android phones it is called Google Lens. Both do similar things, and both are completely free.
Exercise 1: What is that plant?
Find something green nearby: a houseplant on the windowsill, a flower in a pot, a weed you have been meaning to identify, or a leaf from a walk. Any plant will work, and there is no wrong plant to photograph. This is just practice, and it is genuinely fun.
On iPhone or iPad, using Visual Look Up
Open the Camera app and point it at the plant. Hold your device steady about 30 centimetres (a foot) away, so you can see it clearly on your screen.
Take a photo by pressing the large round white button at the bottom of the screen.
Open the Photos app (the multicoloured flower icon) and tap the photo you just took. It will be the most recent one, at the bottom right.
Look for a small sparkle or star icon (✨) at the bottom of the screen. It appears automatically when your device recognises something in the photo. Tap it.
Read what your device found: the name of the plant and some information about it.
On Android, using Google Lens
Open the Google app (the colourful G icon on your home screen).
Tap the small camera icon inside the search bar. This opens Google Lens.
Point your camera at the plant and hold steady, about 30 centimetres away. Centre the plant inside the circle or frame on the screen.
Wait a moment. Google Lens identifies the plant automatically; you do not even need to press a button.
Read what it found. The plant's name and information appear at the bottom of your screen.
Your screen shows the name of the plant, some information, and possibly links to learn more. You just identified a plant with your camera, without typing a single word.
Use the 3-second rule before tapping: stop, breathe, verify. Do you actually want to visit that website? Just browsing is always free, and nothing is purchased unless you deliberately choose to buy and confirm.
Exercise 2: Lost a button? Need a part? Show your camera.
Here is one of the most practical uses of this feature: finding replacements for everyday items around the home. A battery for the TV remote, a part for a kitchen appliance, a specific light bulb. Instead of describing it at the hardware store, or guessing the right words to type into a search, photograph it and let your camera do the work.
Try it with any small object nearby
Find something that might one day need replacing: a battery, a small household item, even a tea bag or spice you are running low on. This is just practice; you will not order anything.
iPhone or iPad: take a photo of the object, open it in Photos, and tap the sparkle icon (✨). Android: open the Google app, tap the camera icon, and point at the object.
Read the results. You may see the product's name, similar items, and sometimes where to buy one.
Notice that you are just looking. Nothing is added to a cart and nothing is purchased unless you choose to tap through and confirm a purchase yourself.
Exercise 3: Not sure what you are looking at? Photograph it.
This is the most powerful part of the whole lesson. When something appears on your screen, or in real life, that looks strange, unfamiliar, or worrying, the answer is simple: photograph it. Then show the picture to someone you trust and ask. You do not have to figure it out alone, and you do not have to describe it from memory. A picture says everything.
How to take a screenshot (a photo of your screen)
A screenshot captures exactly what is on your screen at that moment: the message, the pop-up, the warning, the website. It is saved to your Photos or Gallery app like any other picture.
- On iPhone or iPad: press the Side button (right edge) and the Volume Up button (left edge) at the same time. The screen flashes briefly, and the screenshot is saved to Photos.
- On Android: press the Power button and the Volume Down button at the same time. The screen flashes, and the screenshot is saved to Photos or Gallery.
What to do with your screenshot
- Show it to a family member: send it by text message or show them in person. They can tell you whether it looks legitimate.
- Call Connected Canadians at 1-877-304-5813: a trained volunteer can look at your screenshot with you and help you understand what it means.
- Call 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.
The 3-second rule applies here too
- Stop Take your fingers off the screen.
- Breathe One slow, calm breath.
- Verify Screenshot it and ask someone you trust before doing anything.
You are not alone
- Connected Canadians: free one-on-one tech help from a trained volunteer, by phone or video call. 1-877-304-5813
- Cyber-Seniors: free tech training by phone from trained senior volunteers, in plain language, at your pace. 1-844-217-3057
- Your local library: many libraries offer free tech workshops and one-on-one help sessions.
- Your seniors' centre: community centres often host technology classes and support groups.
When you wonder "what is that?", point your camera at it instead of struggling for the right words. And when something on your screen worries you, screenshot it and show a person you trust before you tap anything.
Quick check: test your knowledge
Tap the answer you think is correct. There is no score kept and nothing to sign in to.
1. What do Visual Look Up (iPhone/iPad) and Google Lens (Android) let you do?
2. On an iPhone or iPad, what tells you Visual Look Up has recognised something in your photo?
3. If shopping results with prices appear while you are just identifying an object, what happens?
4. A worrying pop-up appears on your screen. What is the safest first move?
5. How do you take a screenshot on most phones and tablets?
Your progress
Tick each item as you feel confident with it. This is saved on this device only, with no account needed.
Send this lesson to someone
Helping a parent or friend? This page works on its own, with no account and nothing to install. Copy the link and text it to them.
Well done. Your camera is no longer just for photos: it is a learning tool, a safety tool, and a window to information. You now have a move for any moment of uncertainty: capture what you see, and get help from a person you trust. That is a real skill, and it will serve you every day.