iOS 17 Photos App Can Tell You What Those Confusing Laundry Symbols Mean

The Photos app in iOS 17 can identify a wide range of symbols, including the laundry symbols that you see on clothing tags. As noted by MacStories' Federico Vittici, if you take a photo of a tag with laundry symbols, it is highlighted through the Visual Look Up feature, and can be tapped for a symbol translation.

ios 17 look up laundry
The iPhone will provide an explanation for each symbol that is on the tag, with a tap on the explanation able to provide more information from the website that Apple is sourcing. Apple is getting information for laundry instructions from the Online Browsing Platform that is run by the International Organization for Standardization.

Visual Look Up appears to recognize all of the laundry symbols that we tested with, including washing machine temperatures, bleaching recommendations, dryer restrictions, ironing temperatures, and more. It should recognize almost any laundry tag, but note that the image does need to be fairly zoomed in for the ‌iPhone‌ to detect the symbols.

ios 17 visual lookup laundry symbols close up
Visual Look Up is also able to detect car symbols on vehicle dashboards, so it looks like Apple has quietly added Visual Look Up support for many of the common symbols that you might come across in your day to day life.

Other features in the ‌iOS 17‌ ‌Photos‌ app include pet recognition, one-tap crop, animated stickers made from Live Photos, recipe searches based on food pictures, and more. A full list of features in ‌iOS 17‌ can be found in our dedicated iOS 17 roundup.

Related Roundups: iOS 17, iPadOS 17
Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
24 weeks ago
Love it! That's so cool. Such a useful feature.

Question: What about the regulatory symbols on iPhones?

Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
24 weeks ago

Why don’t the manufacturers use plain English. I like this feature though.
Maybe it's because not everyone reads/speaks English. ?‍♂️
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Anappleaday29 Avatar
24 weeks ago
that's pretty cool
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BrownyQ Avatar
24 weeks ago
Truly we live in the best timeline.

There was life before being able to easily identify those laundry symbols, and life after. A glorious future awaits all humanity.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adrianlondon Avatar
24 weeks ago

Love it! That's so cool. Such a useful feature.

Question: What about the regulatory symbols on iPhones?


Wash at 80°C with other portable electronics only. Tumble-dry low. ?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iamgalt Avatar
24 weeks ago

Love it! That's so cool. Such a useful feature.

Question: What about the regulatory symbols on iPhones?




Attachment Image
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

ios stolen device protection

iOS 17.3 Beta Adds New Stolen Device Protection Feature to iPhone

Tuesday December 12, 2023 10:20 am PST by
The first iOS 17.3 beta rolling out to developers today includes a new "Stolen Device Protection" feature that is designed to add an additional layer of security in the event someone has stolen your iPhone and also obtained the device's passcode. Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern and Nicole Nguyen reported about instances of thieves spying on a victim's iPhone...
New iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.2 With Journal App and More

Monday December 11, 2023 10:01 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2, the second major updates to the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes over a month after Apple released iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1, updates that brought new AirDrop, StandBy, and Apple Music features. iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going...
Apple TV 2022 Feature Blue

Apple Releases tvOS 17.2 With Revamped Apple TV App

Monday December 11, 2023 9:58 am PST by
Apple today released tvOS 17.2, the second major update to the tvOS 17 operating system that came out in September 2023. tvOS 17.2 comes more than a month after tvOS 17.1, an update that expanded the availability of the Enhanced Dialogue feature. tvOS 17.2 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌Apple TV‌...
iPhone 16 Side Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Rumored to Have These 12 New Features

Monday December 11, 2023 10:46 am PST by
While the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are still over nine months away from launching, there are already several rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped new features and changes expected for the devices so far. These are some of the key changes rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models as of December 2023:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped...
iOS 17

33 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 17.2

Tuesday December 12, 2023 1:57 am PST by
Apple has made available for download its major end-of-year iPhone software update, iOS 17.2, featuring a large number of features and changes that users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 33 new things that your iPhone can do once you've installed the update. Check Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update on your device to get downloading. 1. Help You Keep a Daily ...
iPhone 16 Mock Back 1

iPhone 16 Early Prototypes: What Apple's Next-Generation iPhone Will Look Like

Tuesday December 12, 2023 3:07 pm PST by
With the launch of the iPhone 15, Apple introduced design changes like a curved frame and a frosted glass back. Information acquired by MacRumors suggests that Apple's next-generation iPhone 16 will build on these updates with modifications to the buttons and the camera layout. We have details on early pre-production designs for the iPhone 16, including a look at the variants and hardware...
CarPlay Phone Call

GM Says It's Nixing CarPlay to Make Drivers Safer

Tuesday December 12, 2023 1:47 pm PST by
Earlier this year, General Motors (GM) announced plans to phase out Apple's CarPlay and Android Auto in its future electric vehicles, with the company instead relying on an infotainment system co-developed with Google. This has not been a popular decision with iPhone users, and today, GM provided some additional insight into the decision in a discussion with MotorTrend. According to Tim...
macos sonoma feature purple green

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.2 With Enhanced AutoFill, New Widgets, Apple Music Updates and More

Monday December 11, 2023 10:00 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.2, the second major update to the macOS Sonoma operating system that initially came out in late September. macOS Sonoma 14.2 comes six weeks after the launch of macOS Sonoma 14.1. The ‌‌macOS Sonoma 14.2‌ update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. Apple has also released macOS 13.6.3...