Lemon Balm

Spot any text, anywhere.

Type a word or phrase. Point your camera at anything with text on it. Lemon Balm highlights every match with a glowing overlay and haptic feedback — entirely on device, no internet required.

Download on the App Store

How it works

  1. 1
    Type

    Enter any word or phrase — a product name, ingredient, allergen, brand, anything you want to find.

  2. 2
    Point

    Aim your camera at labels, menus, signage, shelves, boxes — any surface with text on it.

  3. 3
    Find

    Lemon Balm draws a glowing box around every match in real time, with a haptic pulse the moment something appears.

Lemon Balm uses Apple Vision's on-device OCR — the same engine that powers Live Text. All recognition happens locally on your iPhone; your camera feed never leaves your device.

Support & FAQ

Why isn't Lemon Balm finding what I'm looking for?

A few things to try:

  • More light. OCR accuracy drops in dim conditions. Tap the flashlight icon to turn on the torch.
  • Shorter query. Instead of "Organic Lemon Balm Herbal Tea", try just "Lemon Balm". The app matches when every word in your query appears somewhere in the text it reads.
  • Hold still. Give the camera half a second to lock focus before expecting a match.
  • Check the debug panel. Toggle the debug switch (top-right corner) to see every string the app is currently reading. If your target text appears there but doesn't highlight, try rewording your query. If it's missing entirely, lighting or print quality is the issue.
Does Lemon Balm work without an internet connection?

Yes — fully. All text recognition runs on your iPhone using Apple Vision. No Wi-Fi or cellular data is used or required.

What does Lemon Balm do with my camera footage?

Nothing leaves your device. Video frames are processed in memory by Apple Vision and immediately discarded. Lemon Balm does not record, store, upload, or share any camera data.

Which iPhone models and iOS versions are supported?

Lemon Balm requires iOS 17 or later. Any iPhone that can run iOS 17 will work; performance is best on iPhone 12 and newer due to the Neural Engine improvements in the A14 chip.

How do I report a bug or request a feature?

Email us at support@lemonbalm.app. Include your iPhone model, iOS version, and a short description of what happened (or what you'd love to see).

Still stuck? Reach us at support@lemonbalm.app.

Privacy Policy

Effective date: June 27, 2026  ·  Last updated: June 27, 2026

What we collect

Nothing. Lemon Balm does not collect, transmit, or store any personal data.

Camera access

Lemon Balm requires camera access to perform text recognition. Video frames are analyzed entirely on your device using Apple Vision. No images or video are recorded, saved, or sent anywhere.

Analytics and advertising

Lemon Balm contains no analytics SDKs, no advertising networks, and no third-party tracking of any kind.

Data retention

Because no data is collected, there is nothing to retain or delete.

Children

Lemon Balm does not knowingly collect any information from anyone, including children under 13.

Contact

Questions about this policy? Email support@lemonbalm.app.

Changes to this policy

If this policy ever changes, the updated version will appear on this page with a new effective date.