Visual search is coming to the iPhone, powered by Apple Intelligence, Apple’s suite of AI capabilities, the company announced at Monday’s Apple Event 2024.
The Camera Control, the new button on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, can launch what Apple calls “visual intelligence” — basically a reverse image search combined with some text recognition.
If you use visual intelligence to search for a restaurant, for example, it’ll pull up restaurant hours, ratings and options to check out the menu or make a reservation, Apple says. Or, if you come across a flier for an event, you can use visual intelligence to quickly add the title, time, date and location to your calendar.
The company says the feature will respect your privacy and Apple services will never store your images.
Through Apple’s partnership with OpenAI, you’ll also be able to use the new Camera Control button on iPhone 16 models to send the query off to ChatGPT instead. Apple suggests the feature could be used when stuck on a homework assignment, as one example.
Visual intelligence will launch along with other Apple Intelligence features in beta in October for U.S. English language users. Users in other countries can expect to get it in December and early 2025.
