iNaturalist

iNaturalist

Discover nature around you

714 ratings
451 reviews
#87 in free Education
📚 Education
🔧 Utilities
Free

Details

Released
September 9, 2024
Updated
October 21, 2026
iNaturalist video #1 for iPhone
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iNaturalist screenshot #3 for iPhone
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iNaturalist screenshot #7 for iPhone
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About

Identify plants, animals, and fungi using your camera or imported photos. Get AI-powered species suggestions and connect with a global community of nature enthusiasts to learn more about the natural world and contribute to scientific conservation efforts.

✓AI species identification
✓Record species observations
✓Contribute to scientific data
✓Explore biodiversity
✓Connect with nature enthusiasts
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What users say about iNaturalist

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+1

What's New in iNaturalist

1.2.1

October 21, 2026

Try the iNaturalist app! Quick identification: Point your camera at a plant, animal, or other organism to get an instant identification. More ways to observe: Press and hold the camera button for more observation options, like recording sounds and adding multiple photos. Keep up with other naturalists: Check your notifications to see when other people in the iNaturalist community add identifications or ask questions about your observations. Set your preferences: If you're a longtime user and want your app experience to feel more like earlier versions of iNaturalist, you can! Go into Settings, enable Advanced Mode, then select "Edit Observation" in the middle section. Thank you for using iNaturalist! Please let us know what you think about the app by using the Feedback form available in the main menu.

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Charts

Top Free

📉 87-12

Education

This app dropped -12 positions in Education chart.

Last updated on October 28, 2026.

Events

Read more about Go touch grass, with a friend!

Go touch grass, with a friend!

Find fellow nature-lovers, protect biodiversity

Sep 18, 2026 — Sep 28, 2026

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Earth Day Exploration

Celebrate Earth Day from anywhere in the world!

Apr 19, 2025 — Apr 23, 2025

User reviews

Complex and hard to use

UI is overly complex and hard to use. Why even change it at all? This app doesnt feel like it was made for naturalists anymore. Im so sick of this modernist minimalist corporate lifeless slop.

Does the job, except for two problems

The animal/plant scanning isn't always accurate but it gets close much of the time and definitely helps get much much closer to IDing than if I didn't have it. There's one issue though, when uploading pictures to the community there's an optional notes section which is the only way to clarify things about the picture. But there's a recent glitch where your keyboard will come up for a second and then go back down, you can't edit until you get lucky and it stays one time. I've noticed this affects Grammarly and SwiftKey more, and Gboard and the default iOS keyboard less. Not sure if this a them problem or an app problem. I've not seen this elsewhere

EDIT: Recently the app hasn't connected to the internet at all, even when I have 4 bars or full bars
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Response from developer

Thank you for the feedback. Are you able to share a screen recording of this with help@inaturalist.org? This is the first report of this behavior we've had.

Not for me

I accidentally made a type of bug I really hate show up on my phone by tapping one of the pins nearby, and that was it. Not using it ever again. I was aware that this app is for most living things, but if there’s a chance I would see something I really hate, I’m not gonna use it. I liked it until this happened. Too bad. Didn’t foresee what could happen.
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最近のアップデートで使いづらくなった

国を選択してクワガタの種類を調べるのに、よく使っていたが、アップデートのせいで、選択した国のクワガタの一覧から選んだ種類をタップすると、種類の一覧に戻れなくなった。とても面倒くさくなった。このアプリをよく使っているので修正をお願いいたします。

Response from developer

Thank you for the feedback. These are issues we noted last week and are working on fixes for them. フィードバックをいただき、ありがとうございます。これらは先週確認した問題であり、現在修正に取り組んでおります。

Best plant ID app by far

It’s free but I’d pay considering how good the plant ID is. Just fantastic. Your data also helps research, instead of making some tech oligarch even richer. Proof that not all tech is rotten these days.

Developer apps

User experience

🐞

Reported Bugs

5 issues

App freezes when suggesting IDs on audio clips

Bug

Inconsistent tap responsiveness in search menu

Bug

Observation time not accurately filling based on upload time

Bug

Map showing incorrect observation locations

Bug

Crashes and performance issues on some devices

Bug
✨

Requested Features

5 requests

Ability to type in address/coordinates for location

Feature

Option to add observations to projects during upload

Feature

Batch editing/uploading of observations

Feature

More precise search filters (e.g. aquatic, parasitic, migratory)

Feature

Bring back colored observation markers on map

Feature

FAQ

What does iNaturalist do?

iNaturalist helps you identify plants, animals, and fungi by using your phone's camera or imported photos. It provides AI-powered species suggestions and connects you with a community of nature lovers to confirm identifications and learn more about the natural world.

How does iNaturalist contribute to science?

Your observations, once reviewed by the community, are shared for scientific research. This data helps scientists understand species distribution, track biodiversity, and inform conservation efforts worldwide.

Is iNaturalist free to use?

Yes, iNaturalist is completely free to use. Its nonprofit mission is supported by a community of donors, making it accessible to everyone interested in nature and science.

What kind of species can I identify with iNaturalist?

You can identify a wide range of species including plants, animals (insects, birds, mammals, reptiles, etc.), and fungi. The AI and community support cover a vast array of life forms found around the world.

Can I use iNaturalist to keep a record of what I see?

Absolutely. iNaturalist allows you to keep a personal record of all the species you observe and identify. This feature helps you track your discoveries and build a personal nature journal.