Apple Upgrades iPhone Camera With AI-Powered Visual Intelligence
In Focus
- Apple plans to integrate the new feature into the iPhone Camera app in iOS 27
- Visual Intelligence is powered by Apple Intelligence
- Apple’s new AI editing features will be available in selected iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices.
Apple is making the iPhone camera smarter by introducing the Siri Virtual Intelligence feature during the WWDC 2026 keynote. The new feature will be integrated into the iPhone Camera app in iOS 27. Apple’s AI camera upgrade enables users to get additional information about real objects by simply pointing their cameras to them. The iOS 27 camera feature resembles Google Lens in many ways.
Which Apple Devices Support Apple Visual Intelligence?
Apple’s Visual Intelligence camera will be available in selected versions of iPhones, iPads, and Macs. The feature is powered by Apple Intelligence, which means it will only be available in devices that support the AI suite.
For iPhones, Visual Intelligence will be available in iPhone 15 Pro and later versions, including iPhone 16 and 17 series. Apple is also introducing Visual Intelligence to Mac laptops for the first time. The new feature will only run on macOS 27, enabling users to get more details about items in images by simply highlighting them.
For instance, a user can identify a landmark and get additional information about it. Users can only access the feature using iMac and M-series laptops. Apple has integrated Visual Intelligence into iPad’s screenshot experience. This allows users to use the tool to analyze screenshots. Apple is also planning to add Visual Intelligence to visionOS, the operating system that runs its Vision headset later.
How Will Visual Intelligence Work in Siri AI?
Apple announced multiple updates to Visual Intelligence as part of the upgraded Siri AI which rolls out late this year. The tech giant said it is integrating Siri directly into the iPhone Camera app. This means that users can point the camera towards an object and prompt Siri to search for information about it.
The Siri Camera integration will also allow users to ask follow-up questions about objects and even view questions they had asked previously in the AI assistant’s app. This means the Camera app does not lose the queries once a user exits the platform.
The iPhone maker said this feature will appear as “Siri Mode” in the Camera app. Currently, the feature appears between the Portrait and Photo modes. Siri Mode will be capable of proposing relevant actions depending on what the camera is pointed at. During the WWDC, Apple showed Siri finding a restaurant bill and splitting the cost between a group.
Visual Intelligence in macOS 27
Apple explained in detail how Visual Intelligence will work in its upcoming macOS 27 Golden Gate operating system. According to the tech giant, people who use macOS 27 Golden Gate will be able to select any part of their screen to get instant contextual information.
After using a keyboard shortcut, a small menu appears with options such as asking Siri for details, performing a reverse image search, or viewing contextual insights about the selected content. The feature streamlines workflows users already perform manually. Initially, it will be available only on Macs set to the English language.
