During the keynote for WWDC 2026, one of Apple's many announcements was Siri Mode for its Camera app, an AI-enabled chatbot experience while you're taking photos.
Apple's annual software event kicked off Monday morning, with a whole host of new AI features, including visual intelligence across multiple platforms. For the iPhone, it's baked into the camera app, where you can access it by tapping a button.
"It allows you to get information and take action on what's in front of you," Apple said. Simply tap the shutter button to let Siri see what you see and give you a useful response, and you can pull down to get rich details and ask follow-up questions."
A prerecorded demo of the camera app's Siri Mode during WWDC showed someone taking a photo of a ball, pressing the Siri shutter button and having Siri with AI explain: "This appears to be a traditional cricket ball, which is typically made of cork layered with tightly wound string and cased in a leather shell," followed by more details on cricket balls.
Another demo during WWDC showed that you can take a photo of a restaurant receipt, and Siri will break out each item ordered and its cost, and enable you to select each menu item that you ordered so you can more easily split the bill with Apple Cash.
Apple/Screenshot by CNET
"The Siri mode also suggests relevant actions in the moment based on what's in front of you. For example, you can point your iPhone at a plate of food to get nutritional insights," Apple said.
Your images and related conversations with the AI chatbot will be saved in the Siri app.
Apple Foundation AI models underpin the capabilities of Siri Mode in the iPhone camera.