Circle the People
A passenger points out a place on a sunny coastal street while checking a map; the driver keeps his attention on the road

What’s That? · Private preview

Something catches your eye.
What’s that?

You’re enjoying the view. Then you spot a church above the rooftops, a beautiful old building, a little restaurant you’d love to try.

You don’t know its name. You just know you’d like to find out. Ask What’s That? about the place you mean, and take it from there.

See how it works

Currently being field-tested. Installation is for approved testers only.

Follow your curiosity

One walk. So many things to wonder about.

An imagined village trail connects three green map pins: a church, a historic building and a restaurant
“What’s that church?”A spire you noticed from the next street. “What’s that building?”The one with the arches and blue shutters. “What’s that restaurant?”It looked lovely. You’d like to find the menu.

You don’t need the perfect search phrase. Start with what you noticed. A name, a nearby landmark, or “the place we passed twenty seconds ago” gives What’s That? somewhere to begin.

  1. Describe the place

    “What are those businesses on our right?” “What did we pass twenty seconds ago?” Say a name, mention a landmark, or type your question.

  2. Check the match

    See a supported result or possible matches on an Apple map. If the answer isn’t clear, the app asks a short question or tells you it can’t identify the place.

  3. Choose what you need

    Look for a menu, check hours, read reviews, explore its history, or get directions. Save your own label and notes for another day.

Restaurants, bakeries, shops, businesses, buildings and landmarks. Map listings can miss a place; this is not a complete directory or a camera identification app.

Then you try to find it again

Two bakeries. Five open tabs.
Which one did you pass?

You remember the window full of bread. Was it beside the church? Around the corner? You’ve found plenty of places online, but you’re still not sure which one you saw.

A couple pauses among similar shopfronts, comparing a phone and a paper map while scattered directions leave them unsure which bakery they passed
“Was it this street, or the one before?”

Google might take you straight to the bakery’s own website, or on to Tripadvisor, Yelp or OpenTable. Then come more listings, reviews and sometimes sign-ins. Before any of that helps, you need to know you’ve found the right place.

  1. Work out what to search for, even when you don’t know the place’s name.
  2. Open results and check which address is the right one.
  3. Find your way through the site you landed on. Some actions may ask you to sign in.

Starting with What’s That?

  1. Ask about the place you mean, using nearby location when permitted.
  2. Choose the likely match, with its name, address and map together.
  3. Pick your next destination: the official site when available, a search, or directions.

What’s That? doesn’t create another review score or take a restaurant booking. You can still choose Google or your favorite review site. The useful part comes first: working out which place you mean.

From “which one?” to “let’s go”

Ask about the bakery you passed. What’s That? looks for a match using your question and the location you’ve allowed it to use. If more than one place fits, it helps you narrow them down.

The same couple finds the bakery, with one clear map pin and a flowing painted path leading to the doorway
“That’s the place. Let’s go back.”

Once you’ve found your place, choose what matters now. The menu because you’re hungry. Directions because you want to go back. A saved note because this is somewhere you’d like to remember.

Menu & opening hours
An official destination when supplied and verified; otherwise a Google search with the place’s name and address. A search link does not confirm today’s hours.
Reviews & more information
Open a Google search. For history, open a Wikipedia search. You decide what to read.
Directions & other maps
Apple Maps on iPhone; Google Maps on Android where supported. MapQuest and OpenStreetMap are also available as links.
Saved Places
Keep personal labels, favorites and notes on your device. Notes remain available offline; live identification, refreshed place details and outside websites need a connection.

Know what you’re sharing

Location while you use it.
A fresh start when you return.

With your permission, What’s That? keeps up to ninety seconds of recent movement in your phone’s memory while the app is visible. Switching away stops collection and clears that buffer. It can’t remember where you were before you opened it.

Your question starts a search. Apple receives the search and location context needed for place matching; voice recordings go to our speech service for processing. The recent movement buffer stays on your device. What’s That? doesn’t store it as a server-side travel history.

What happens when I open another website?

That website’s rules apply. Its sign-in, cookies and advertising choices may differ from ours. Tripadvisor, Yelp and OpenTable describe data collection and advertising practices in their own policies; What’s That? does not remove those practices when you follow a link.

Tripadvisor’s privacy statementYelp’s privacy policyOpenTable’s cookie policy

Private testing · iPhone & Android

An icon on your phone.
Ready for the next “what’s that?”

Invited testers verify their email through Circle, then receive their own short-lived installation link. Add What’s That? to your Home Screen and open it from its icon.

iPhone
Share → Add to Home Screen → Add

Android
Browser menu → Install app

Invited tester? Open What’s That?

No public checkout yet. The intended price is $2/month. Field testing is still underway; this preview is not a promise of finished device testing.

Do I need to reinstall for updates?

The installed app checks for updates and applies them when it can do so without interrupting a recording or unsaved edits. Access and Saved Places are preserved.

Ask while walking safely or as a passenger. In a moving car, only the passenger operates the app.