Seek by iNaturalist

Seek by iNaturalist is a free, family‑friendly nature identification app that uses image recognition to help you identify plants, animals, fungi and other organisms in the field. Built by the iNaturalist team, Seek emphasizes easy, privacy‑focused identification without requiring an account (though users can optionally contribute observations to iNaturalist). It’s aimed at casual nature observers, students and families who want quick IDs, badges and learning opportunities while exploring outdoors.

Latest Update: Improved handoff to the new iNaturalist iPhone app and smoother observation sharing

This release improves compatibility with the recently updated iNaturalist iPhone app so you can more easily send observations from Seek to iNaturalist for verification and contribution. Handoff and share flows have been streamlined—observations now carry richer metadata (timestamps, location accuracy and multiple photos) when opened in the iNaturalist app—and we’ve added clearer in‑app prompts guiding users who want to migrate finds into the full iNaturalist experience. You’ll also find minor camera/photo quality tweaks, faster upload retries for offline captures, and several stability and bug fixes. Update to get better cross‑app sharing and a more reliable observation workflow.

Pro

1. Fast, easy identification for a wide range of organisms—great for beginners and kids.

2. Privacy‑minded and usable without an account, with the option to contribute to iNaturalist for citizen science.

3. Engaging learning features—badges, challenges and seasonal lists encourage repeated outdoor exploration.

Con

1. Identification accuracy depends on photo quality and local species coverage; some taxa are harder to ID reliably.

2. Offline model downloads can be large for full regional coverage and may require storage space.

3. Advanced naturalist features (expert verification, detailed observation editing) require using iNaturalist rather than Seek.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Seek free to use?

Yes—Seek is free to download and use. Basic identification, badges and local guides are available without charge; optional uploading to iNaturalist is also free.

How accurate are Seek’s identifications?

Seek is generally accurate for common species when provided with clear photos, but accuracy varies by group and region. Use multiple photos (different angles) and the app’s suggestions, and consider consulting field guides or iNaturalist for expert verification when in doubt.

Can I use Seek without internet access?

Yes—Seek supports offline observation capture and, in some cases, offline models for identification. Offline functionality and required downloads vary by device and region, so check app settings to download any available regional packs before you go offline.