Not sure if you are experiencing this, but as of recently (probably since v2.17), the ID doesn’t work at all with life from different locations (even at a family or order level - just to say is a bird!). It seems to only identify organisms which are local. Changing the location via the interface to the location where the picture was taken, still doesn’t work
I’m not sure if this is a new bug or is some new redesign idea but it creates more issues then it might wish to solve:
There are introduced organisms from one continent to another which you still may want to identify
While I don’t go to zoos, people do use it to identify captive animals from other regions of the globe (or plans in a botanical garden)
I personally used this feature a lot to identify birds and plants from pictures I took during my trips in nature around the globe, AFTER I returned home (so the location changed). I wouldn’t snap or post pictures from my screen but merely identify via Seek before posting on iNat.
So if it is a recent redesign decision, it would be a tremendous loss is usability.
I hope is a bug and wonder if others experienced it.
UPDATE: If I remove Location access for the Seek app, it ID works… So it seems by design, but if this is the case, this creates more issues than in tries to solve
You might want to keep in mind that Seek is designed for children and information about locations may be restricted for children’s safety.
Just my guess, I’m not an expert.
Sounds like you found a work around.
Correct, 2.17 does include the geomodel and will use your location (or location data embedded in a photo) when suggesting an ID. So this is not a bug.
Seek’s goal is to get people outside and exploring wild nature, it’s not really meant for identifying images on a computer screen, so use of the geomodel should increase accuracy for that main use case. For example, it should no longer suggest Apis cerana in North America, or Ardea herodias for Ardea cinerea in Eurasia.
And as noted, if you don’t want location to be used for ID purposes, you can remove location access permissions for Seek. That being said, I’d be open to an in-app setting to turn off location use when making ID suggestions.
Edited to add:
Introduced ranges are included in the gemodel. For example, Conium maculatum is native to Europe and North Africa but is highly invasive in elsewhere and the geomodel reflects that.
Just wanted to note that, in relation to above, if you are going to get on iNat and post anyway, it would be better to use the iNat CV. It has more species and is more accurate than the Seek model.