Apple iOS 26 with Liquid Glass (from the Developer Beta). Jason Hiner/ZDNET
Apple Worldwide Developers' Conference (WWDC) was expected to have little AI news -- but Apple proved everyone wrong.
Even though Apple has not yet launched the highly anticipated Siri upgrade -- the company said we will hear more about it in the coming year -- when it came to event time last week, Apple unveiled a slew of AI features across its devices and operating systems, including iOS, MacOS, WatchOS, and iPadOS.
Also: ZDNET's WWDC 2025 recap with Sabrina Ortiz and Jason Hiner
While the features weren't the flashiest, many of them address issues that Apple users have long had with their devices or in their everyday workflows, while others are downright fun.
I gathered the AI features announced and ranked them according to what I am most excited to use and what people on the web have been buzzing about.
1. Visual Intelligence
Apple introduced Visual Intelligence last year with the launch of the iPhone 16. At the time, it allowed users to take photos of objects around them and then use the iPhone's AI capability to search for them and find more information. Last week, Apple upgraded the experience by adding Visual Intelligence to the iPhone screen.
To use it, you just have to take a screenshot. Visual Intelligence can use Apple Intelligence to grab the details from your screenshot and suggest actions, such as adding an event to your calendar. You can also use the "ask button" to ask ChatGPT for help with a particular image. This is useful for tasks in which ChatGPT could provide assistance, such as solving a puzzle. You can also tap on "Search" to look on the web.
Also: Your entire iPhone screen is now searchable with new Visual Intelligence features
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