Tim Cook recently called out one specific AI feature—visual intelligence—as being among the most popular Apple Intelligence capabilities so far. And rumors indicate that later this year, it could get a lot more powerful.
Visual intelligence is an early hit among Apple users, says Tim Cook
Visual intelligence first debuted on the iPhone 16 as part of the Camera Control button.
With all AI-enabled iPhone models, you can long-press Camera Control to enter the visual intelligence mode. Or optionally, set up a Control Center or Lock Screen button to do the same.
Visual intelligence essentially combines your camera with AI to provide new features, such as:
translating a street sign into your native language
adding an event from a flyer to your calendar
seeing restaurant reviews, photos, and more
When iOS 26 launched, it expanded visual intelligence in a big way. No longer is it limited to the camera. Now, anything you see on your iPhone can benefit from AI via screenshots.
Take a screenshot in iOS 26, and as part of the redesigned screenshot viewer, you’ll now find visual intelligence options like the ones above.
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