How Your iPhone Will Soon Help You Better Understand Your Car？

Your iPhone will soon help you comprehend the inscrutable symbols on your car's dashboard. The next iOS 17 will have a new feature called Visual Look Up, which will allow you to decipher texts in your car. Experts believe that the ability has been long overdue. "Car symbols are confusing because they are often vague, ambiguous, or unfamiliar," Casey Jones, creator of software business CJ&CO, told Lifewire in an email interview. "They can vary according to the make, model, or year of the car, and they can have different meanings depending on the color or shape of the symbol."

iOS 17's Visual Lookup for Auto Symbols

The new iOS 17 capability to understand auto symbols has not yet been announced, but it has been noticed online by Apple watchers. According to a Reddit screenshot, your iPhone will be able to read the lights on your dashboard. The phone will display a pop-up at the bottom of the screen with the meanings of the symbols.

Assumed screenshot of Auto Symbol lookup in iOS 17

 Reddit user yahlover claims to have captured a snapshot of the Auto Symbol lookup in iOS 17. User u/yahlover on Reddit"The Visual Look Up feature will be useful because it will help drivers understand what their car is trying to tell them and take appropriate actions," Jones noted. "For example, if the check engine light illuminates, the feature will explain what it means and what to do next," according to the feature, "which may save drivers time, money, and frustration, as well as avoiding additional automobile damage."Apple has included Visual Lookup in previous iOS versions. It's a visual search engine that uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to detect and give information on objects in your photographs, such as places and art. Visual Look Up is available in the Photos app, as well as other built-in apps like Safari, Messages, and Mail.

According to automotive expert James McNally, general director of Self Drive Vehicle Hire, the latest addition to Visual Lookup may help understand increasingly complex and baffling car signals. One difficulty is that no universal standard exists for car business insignia, resulting in a wide range of symbols and variances even within the same brand. Furthermore, symbols usually rely on abstract representations or pictograms that the average driver may be unfamiliar with. "As technology advances, vehicles incorporate more sophisticated features, resulting in an increase in the number and complexity of symbols," he goes on to say. "Furthermore, automotive emblems might vary based on the model, trim level, or extra equipment, making it difficult for drivers to reliably understand them."These elements contribute to the uncertainty surrounding automobile insignia, emphasizing the need for a solution like the Visual Look Up tool."

Understanding Dashboard Symbols

If you own a car, you've probably seen some of the symbols on your dashboard light up at some point. These symbols provide information on the state of your car, such as engine temperature, oil pressure, battery charge, tire pressure, and so on. Various symbols, Seat belt reminders and low fuel warnings, for example, are straightforward. Others, though, may be more confusing, such as the traction control light or the diesel particulate filter alarm.Ignoring automobile symbols might have major consequences for your vehicle and your safety. According to a Britannia Rescue research, more than half of UK drivers need to learn the meaning of some of the most common automotive dashboard symbols.

A person uses a smartphone while standing near a charging electric vehicle

 Using a smartphone in close proximity to an automobile. Getty Images / MaskotFailure to notice your car's warning lights may result in malfunctions, accidents, and even injuries, according to experts. One of the most alarming possibilities is that the indicator suggests an engine problem. The check engine light might signify anything from a faulty oxygen sensor to a cylinder that is misfiring. Ignoring this indication may result in engine damage, increased fuel consumption, the production of hazardous pollutants, or the failure of an emissions test.If you don't yet have iOS 17 installed on your phone, cybersecurity law expert Star Kashman advised in an email that you try deciphering your automotive symbols by taking a photo of the symbol and searching for it online using a reverse-image search.For a more low-tech method, pull out your car's owner's handbook and go over the list of dashboard symbols. But where's the excitement in that?