Which Says Hi tool do I need?

Start with what you’re holding

Every Says Hi tool reads one kind of subject. So the first question isn’t “what do I want to know?” — it’s “what am I looking at?” A photo of a leaf goes to the plant tool, a photo of a coin to the coin tool, even when the question behind it is the same (“what is this?” or “is this one special?”).

Two edge cases come up often:

• A busy frame. A dog sitting in front of a car is two subjects. Pick the one you care about and crop or retake so it fills the frame — one subject per photo reads best.
• No photo at all. Most tools take a photo, but some also accept a name — Car Says Hi reads a photo, a screenshot, or a typed name, and Word Says Hi needs only the word itself.

If the photo is the weak link — blurry, dark, or cluttered — retaking it can help, though an uncertain reading can also reflect the tool’s own limits. Photo tips that work across every Says Hi tool covers the fundamentals.

Living things: plants, cats, and dogs

Three tools cover the family’s living subjects, and they split cleanly:

• Plant Says Hi — for a plant, leaf, flower, tree, or houseplant. A photo becomes identification clues and everyday care guidance.
• Cat Says Hi — for a cat. A photo becomes a description of visible traits, possible breed cues, and everyday care ideas.
• Dog Says Hi — for a dog. The same idea as the cat tool, tuned for dogs.

A note on borderline cases: a pet that is neither cat nor dog — a rabbit, a parrot, a lizard — has no family tool today. The same goes for wildlife in general: if the subject isn’t one of the eight, no Says Hi tool covers it yet.

Made things: art, cars, and coins

Three more tools read objects people make:

• Art Says Hi — for a painting, print, sculpture, poster, garment, or a building that caught your eye. It looks closer at artworks and objects and explores the context around what you see.
• Car Says Hi — for a car, from a photo, a screenshot, or a typed name — useful when a listing image is all you have.
• Coin Says Hi — for a coin or a token you found, inherited, or can’t place. Photos of both sides give it the most to work with.

The split that matters here is object versus subject matter: a photo of a painting belongs to Art Says Hi, while a painting depicting a dog is still an art question, not a dog one. The tool reads the object, not whatever is pictured inside it.

On your plate and on the page: food and words

The last two tools are the least alike — one reads a meal, the other reads a word:

• Food Says Hi — for a dish, an ingredient, or something on your plate you can’t name. A photo or a dish name becomes a likely match, serving ideas, and the stories behind it.
• Word Says Hi — for a word itself: its meaning, usage, and possible roots. It is the one tool that never needs a photo — you type the word.

Text inside a photo is the edge case here. A photo of a menu is still a food question if the dish is the subject; a photo taken only to capture a word on a sign is a word question — and typing the word straight into Word Says Hi usually works better than photographing it.

When a photo isn’t enough

Whichever tool fits, the reading it returns is a provisional suggestion, not a verdict. A photo can point toward a plant, a breed, a coin, or a car — but it cannot confirm an identity, a health problem, an allergen, an authenticity, or a value. Questions that carry real stakes belong with a professional: a vet, a doctor, a mechanic, a grading service. How Says Hi tools work explains what a reading is and where the tools stop.

Still unsure? Ask us

If your subject sits between categories — or you’re not sure the family covers it — send a note to hello@sayshi.app or use the contact page and we’ll point you at the right tool. Quick answers about the family, privacy, and the tools live on the help page, and the homepage grid lists all eight tools side by side.