OTTO Introduces iPhone Based Visual Product Search to Enhance Personalized Mobile Shopping Experience

OTTO Introduces iPhone Based Visual Product Search to Enhance Personalized Mobile Shopping Experience

(IN BRIEF) OTTO has launched a visual product search feature for compatible iPhones, allowing customers to find items by taking a photo or screenshot. As one of the first retailers in Germany to adopt Apple’s visual intelligence technology, OTTO enables users to search its 18 million products in a more personalized and intuitive way. Customers can highlight objects within images to receive matching results and complete their purchase via the usual checkout process on otto.de. The new functionality reflects the growing importance of AI-driven, mobile-first shopping experiences, with over 85 percent of OTTO’s traffic already coming from mobile devices. The feature is available on selected iPhone models and supports faster, more individualized product discovery.

(PRESS RELEASE) HAMBURG, 3-Mar-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — OTTO has introduced a new visual product search feature that allows customers using compatible iPhones to find items simply by taking a photo or screenshot. As one of the first online retailers in Germany to integrate Apple’s visual intelligence technology, OTTO is enabling a more individualized and intuitive way to explore its assortment of around 18 million products.

The new functionality allows users to move from inspiration to purchase within seconds. By activating visual intelligence via the Camera Control or Action Button on supported iPhone models, customers can search directly from their camera view. Alternatively, they can capture a screenshot and use it as the starting point for a product search. Individual objects within an image can be selected with a simple touch, prompting visual intelligence to display matching products from across the web and from installed apps.

Users who prefer to focus exclusively on OTTO’s product range can filter results accordingly through a dedicated tab above the search results. Once a suitable product is identified, the purchasing process continues as usual through otto.de, ensuring a familiar checkout and order experience.

Olaf Schlüter, Division Manager Product Management Shopping Platform at OTTO, emphasized that the integration reflects changing consumer behavior. He noted that product searches are becoming increasingly personalized and less linear. Consumers are relying more on AI-supported tools that respond to specific needs and situations. With visual intelligence, customers can search based on a real-life snapshot — for example, a shirt seen at a concert — making the experience highly tailored and immediate.

Mobile usage plays a central role in OTTO’s digital strategy, with more than 85 percent of traffic already coming from mobile devices. The addition of visual intelligence supports this shift by offering a seamless, fast and user-friendly shopping journey directly from a smartphone.

Apple’s visual intelligence feature is available on selected iPhone models, including iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 series devices, as well as certain earlier Pro versions. Users can access the function through standard screenshot controls or by customizing buttons such as the Action Button or Lock Screen shortcuts.

With the introduction of visual search, OTTO is further expanding its AI-supported commerce capabilities and adapting its platform to meet evolving customer expectations in mobile-first retail.

Media Contact:

Roman Oncsak
Corporate Spokesman for Trade, B2B & Marketing
+49 (0) 40 / 6461 6212
presse@otto.de LinkedIn

SOURCE: OTTO