Picture Mushroom: Identifier Reviews

by Penelopeporter

The amount of ads just to read basic information is insane. DELETE APP, same information is free in other places. I’m all for contributing to good apps, and I would possibly consider the $30 a year PictureMushroom wants, but I didn’t get a chance to find out everything PictureMushroom can do because I was hit with ads so often when just trying to read simple descriptions that I gave up. There has to be a way to let people try it out without making them commit to being charged at the end of seven days if they want to keep it or get busy with life and forget to cancel. I don’t know where the developers live, but $30 for an app that only identifies mushrooms is a big commitment for me financially. Just insane…
Edit: Dev emailed me but I don’t think they understand my review… no, I do not want to email you, I don’t need to have this discussion in private. Not do I need to provide my financial information to your app even temporarily just to see what it is your app does. That is very shady to me. You can make PictureMushroom full access for 30 days and THEN ask if users want to subscribe or lose full features. You do not need user financial information upon download.

by Showy Goldeneye

I used PictureMushroom for the first time with a photo of a mushroom in the agaricus family. Below the photo was series of pictures came up calling it “Bisporus” which looked exactly like the one I had harvested. As it was considered safe to eat, I ate it, and got very nauseous. I did more research on wikipedia and learned there is a similar but inedible agaricus (xanthodermus) which I suspect I ate. (I live at 8,000 feet in New Mexico and there are many mushrooms after the summer rains.) I have never had the nerve to pick and eat one before today, when PictureMushroom gave me the confidence I had an edible mushroom. PictureMushroom did not exactly name my mushroom in the photo, which I didn’t realize at the time, but just showed file pictures that looked identical to mine. I will try PictureMushroom again and take more care with identification details, but I will probably not ever eat a wild mushroom again, as I felt pretty terrible and scared. Just thought you should know the risk I experienced.

by Hannahcatzxv

I downloaded PictureMushroom to find out about a specific mushroom I had found outside one day. I took multiple different pictures of the same mushroom and each time it would tell me it was a different mushroom. Very inaccurate. After doing some research myself I was able to identify it. But afterwards i got a call from my bank saying Apple was trying to charge me $25 for the “subscription” of PictureMushroom even though I used it once and deleted it because it didn’t work. I’ve tried to cancel my subscription that I wasn’t even made aware that I would have to pay? If I was aware of this I never would have downloaded it because PictureMushroom doesn’t work. PictureMushroom is a scam. Don’t download it.

by Agillygirl

I really enjoy PictureMushroom and feel for a novice it’s great! I enjoy learning about the nature around me and use mushroom books as a cross reference after using PictureMushroom to help ID them. I am using the free version that you have to click around to use PictureMushroom which is ok. I would appreciate having different medicinal uses listed and in which form(Tea, cooked etc.). Keep the warning of not to consume but add which cultures have used the various mushrooms. Some mushrooms do have this listed but I find myself googling and leaving the site and looking for more. Overall Great app! Thank you for creating PictureMushroom!

Edit: App adds popped up and was so off putting and I have no interest in games not having to have that interruption when I want to read about the mushrooms. I almost had 5 stars, if they added more about PictureMushroom . Now with adds pop-up for the first time after reviewing and doing the update I’m really disappointed. 2 stars off. “Update to make app work more smoothly”?

by Joiboi98

I just downloaded PictureMushroom, I hunt mushrooms quite often and I’m very careful about the types I consume or touch. I sent in 2 different photos of the same mushroom and it gave me both different results. The pore colors on the photos didn’t even match what they suggested the mushroom’s color to be. They also do not tell the viewer what the spore colors are on the mushrooms, which is very important to identification. Better to get mushroom hunting books and take classes to educate yourself better. It is a fun app for learning about mushrooms but I think there are some inaccuracies. ✨don’t consume mushrooms if you are unsure✨

by Kednndiejd Fnenncfnex

the identifier is pretty whack and is missing mushrooms (probably why there are so many misidentified mushrooms)
with that being said
@ everyone who decided to randomly eat a mushroom ?? you’re stupid. i do not care if PictureMushroom said it was safe to eat. any reasonable person and mushroom enthusiast will know it is not safe to just eat a random mushroom. it even states first and foremost to NOT use that information as a reason to go put random things in your mouth from your backyard. if you want to eat mushrooms go to your local grocery store and buy them. the ones you know are safe to eat. use your brain cells.

by Cappernicus

I fed PictureMushroom pictures I took of several very distinctive looking (non-ambiguous) mushrooms. All were very clear and at an optimal distance, but it really struggled to identify them. It got one of them right away, some of them only after clicking “retry” 2 or 3 times, and the rest of them not at all. I could understand confusing different mushrooms that looked similar, but the fact that it struggled to detect them at all doesn’t give me much confidence, or incentive to pay premium for an app that doesn’t work well.

This may change (and I really hope it does), but as of version 1.1.0 I am disappointed. The plant version of their app works MUCH better.

by Eterntyinanhour

I love the concept. I might even may for premium, but there are so many ads and they take so long before I'm given the option to close out. The one for the coloring book app takes like 20/30 seconds before I can exit out. No I do not want that app, and the more time I have to stare at the ad before I can get to what I actually want to do, the more I really hate both PictureMushroom for identifying mushrooms AND PictureMushroom being advertised in the ad. Like come on....at least make your ads like 5 seconds instead of 20+ seconds. Insane.

by Offpistenh

I liked PictureMushroom except for two big things: it is completely unavailable if you are out of phone service area (rural areas). Not only can you not identify mushrooms, you can’t see your own past finds, or save pics in PictureMushroom to identify later. Other photo-based apps can do this. Also, it is super expensive —$30 per year! I’d understand, maybe, if was $30 one-time. Ouch. Lastly, it appears that they control your files and photos. So, you save a bunch of mushroom photos, then decide you no longer want to pay, goodbye to your files. That’s my thinking anyways.

by Lissalulu79

This is helpful at times. It’s correct I’ve found maybe 50% of the time. When none of the 3 suggestions are correct and you X out it assumes you got the correct id further helping others receive wrong id’s. You have to scroll to suggest an edit. This fine for those who know what to suggest. If you have no idea it saves your incorrect Id when you back out. Common easy to identify mushies like cortinarius iodes are not recognized at all. Instead the poisonous mushroom is identified as an edible blewit. Not good. Hopefully all who use PictureMushroom know to triple check sources including a written guide that will warn of the look a-likes.

by Rplym

PictureMushroom seems to do what it claims. Reading other reviews about the inaccuracies, I cannot say either way. I am a novice wild plant identifier. The pictures I took looked like the mushrooms I was linked to. I believe the initial screen that shows up when you first open PictureMushroom is a very deceptive sales tactic. If you hit the “continue” button I believe it begins your 7 day free trial… a charge follows after the 7 days. it appears like a normal part of PictureMushroom but it isn’t.. Is it really that hard to be straightforward in trying to offer a deluxe version?

by Sunsun13

I downloaded PictureMushroom recently and found that I love it! It is so quick with identifying mushrooms and gives a brief description of the mushroom as well, some even prompting weather they're edible or not, though I do not completely trust PictureMushroom enough to eat any. Sometimes the mushroom I find and take a picture of is a bit different then the pictures that show up, maybe it’s because my mushroom is in a different stage as the one in the picture but I’m not completely sure. One suggestion I’ve been wanting to make relating to what I said above is that maybe there could be a community option that lets you talk and chat with others about the same mushroom and their experiences with it so it could be more reassuring to people that were curious about eating them or just about them in general. I feel like an option like this would just improve PictureMushroom in so many ways and have been wondering if that could ever be made an option. Besides that note, I am in love with PictureMushroom and will be continuing to use it when I go on my little mushroom hunts!😁🍄

by Tubladoee

The only drawback is you cannot create a collection of your fungal biome as well as not being able to add personal notes to the specific image. There also is no differentiation between poisonous/hallucinogenic. I’m not outwardly seeking out hallucinogenic, but some have extreme health benefits and minimal levels of psilocybin. I would just like to know why these fungi are (poisonous/hallucionogenic). Fix these and you have the perfect app in my opinion.

by Taramaji

When you’re out in the words looking at and finding new mushroom friends, and you don’t know what they are, as long as you get Internet this is great for on site identification. But it’s also great when you get home because once you’re back in Internet range you can upload pictures from your photo albums and it will also give you an idea. It has been very accurate. Saves me a lot of time searching around online. Thank you thank you thank you!!

by Androids&apples

PictureMushroom is really fantastic at identifying all sorts of different fungus among-us!! The year subscription was also well worth it, I tried it out on a free trial (without getting my hopes up); and I am still impressed every time I snap a picture.
Ever been walking around and see a mushroom wondering “what type of mushroom is that?”
You have found that answer with PictureMushroom!
It also keeps a log of all the captured images which I always enjoy looking back over previous hikes.
Thank you kindly to the developers and keep up the great work!

by Ariel_oliveau

I recently came back from a trip to San Francisco, and in one of the national parks I took pictures of many different kinds of mushrooms. Most of which I was correctly able to identify with PictureMushroom. The ones I was not able to identify were most likely due to poor camera quality or the mushrooms not being fully fruited and wasn’t able to correctly get a mature fungus identification. I used the one week free trial, so idk how PictureMushroom works without the subscription. I don’t go foraging enough to really use PictureMushroom all the time, so the subscription would not be beneficial to me.

by Chiquitabanana99

I have been using iNaturalist for some time now. A few months ago, I became interested in documenting the mushrooms I saw. iNaturalist wasn’t doing a great job of identifying, so I decided to try this mushroom-specific app. I’m so glad I did! The identification suggestions are MUCH better, and it offers a multitude of information on each mushroom. I really appreciate the feature where you can compare your picture to suggested identifications side-by-side. I am working on transferring all my sightings over to PictureMushroom now, and I am learning so many new things about the fungi in my area in the process!

by Beansoaker

. . . a mushroom based on an app's visual analysis! That's just crazy, and PictureMushroom tells you explicitly not to do it. Use PictureMushroom if you just want an instant estimate of what a mushroom *might* be, without having to stop and consult a book. If you want a sure identification, you need to know a lot more about mushrooms. I'm on the fence about buying, just because it is $20/year. But I think it is a good app for learning, if you acknowledge its limitations.

by Beagle-Dog

Four unknown mushrooms popped up in our yard after several large trees were removed. Our new Brittany puppy got into them and was battling GI tract issues. I used PictureMushroom to determine how toxic/poisonous they were. PictureMushroom had mis-identified one variety so I contacted support and provided photos of the four varieties growing in the yard. Not only did they respond quickly (within a day), they provided suggestions related to “puppy management” and mushroom disposal.

by 11D7ER

PictureMushroom is amazingly accurate and when it isn’t it’s usually due to poor image quality
Still it has some progress to make but I’m sure as more people use it they will be able to better identify species users add. The price is a little high but worth it especially with how handy and quick to boot PictureMushroom is and the fact that they have real people that can help with identification in a timely manner is unbeatable in my experience.

by MorganLovesSwim

Horrible - first off it wrongly identifies mushrooms and it renewed a subscription without my consent - I have no used the application and wasn’t able to find anywhere to cancel the subscription for a while. I want a refund.

by Everynameistaken5612

Captured two different images of known shiitake mushrooms. PictureMushroom responded with two incorrect mushrooms.

by Santa Picker

Couldn’t ID

by Triciax79

I've only tried to identify two different kinds of mushrooms... there's not enough guidance about the characteristics of the mushroom to ever positively identify it here. They don't even talk about the gills or anything.

by EC’s Dad

This is the best app I’ve found for mushroom identification. Would be nice if you could post multiple pics to the same id and maybe provide links for additional info. Great app over all.

by Mile Bcchugy

I love it！It 和老婆 么 啊 lot！

by MushroomGirl08211985

PictureMushroom is amazing! It delivers results super quickly! The only thing it doesn’t advise as to is the edibility of the mushrooms. I just use google once it tells me what kind they are.?

by Taskforce69

As someone who loves to travel and take my pictures of specimens along the way, with PictureMushroom you can take photos and it will leave a mark on your maps of where you found that mushroom and a bunch of great info about the identified species, surprisingly accurate as well! New favorite!

by TrApeX199456

Great App!

by Dave Grainger

Submitted photo which was identified by picture mushroom as poison pax, but did not resemble photos on file. I hit submit, not understanding what that did and apparently the result was incorrectly adding my unidentified photo with poison pax label. Do not know how to correct that!