no installation
Plant identification without an app
An app has to be installed, updated, take up space and ask for permissions. This tool is a web page — open it, upload a photo, get an answer. Then you close the tab.
Your phone's browser can do everything a plant app does in this case: read an image, send it to a model and show the answer. What differs is the packaging. A web page does not need to be installed, it cannot read your contacts, and it cannot keep running in the background.
How to do it on iPhone
- Open plants.rostad.cc in Safari.
- Tap the share icon (the square with the arrow) in the toolbar.
- Choose Add to Home Screen and name the shortcut, for example "Plant".
- Instead of the camera roll you can choose Take Photo in the picker and photograph the plant on the spot.
How to do it on Android
- Open plants.rostad.cc in Chrome.
- Tap the three dots in the top right.
- Choose Add to Home screen (sometimes under "More tools").
- The shortcut opens full screen and looks like an app — but is still just a web page.
The same thing works in Edge and Firefox on Android, and in Chrome and Edge on a computer. The tool is what is called an installable web app: the browser can add it to the home screen with its own icon.
What you gain
- No installation and no updates. The tool is always the latest version.
- No permissions. The page only gets the image you choose yourself — not the camera roll, not your location.
- No account. Nothing to log in to, nothing to delete, nothing to cancel.
- Works on every device. The same link on your phone, tablet and computer — nothing to sync.
- Linkable. You can send the tool to someone in a message. An app has to be found in a store.
What you give up
Be honest with yourself here, because there are real drawbacks:
- No offline mode. Without a signal no model can analyse the image. If you are in the field outside network coverage, an app with a downloaded model, such as Flora Incognita, is better.
- No automatic logbook. The tool saves no observations — that is the price of saving no images.
- No reporting to research. If you want your finds to become data, use iNaturalist or Artportalen instead.
Short version: to quickly find out what a plant is, the browser is faster than an installation. For fieldwork without coverage and scientific reporting, an app is the right tool.
Common questions
These are the questions people actually search for.
Can I use the tool without installing anything?
Yes. It is an ordinary web page. You open it in your phone's browser, upload a photo and get the answer — nothing is installed and no permissions are requested.
How do I put the tool on my home screen?
iPhone: open it in Safari, tap the share icon and choose Add to Home Screen. Android: open it in Chrome, tap the three dots and choose Add to Home screen.
Does it work offline?
No. The analysis happens on a server, so you need a network connection. If you need to identify plants without coverage, an app with a downloaded model is a better choice.