Suddenly, searching for anything you see on your iPhone just got a lot smarter.
Apple has unveiled image analysis tools powered by artificial intelligence, coming to iPhones with iOS 26. This technology quietly transforms common tasks on your device, making it effortless to interact with anything that appears on your screen.
No matter which app you are using, Visual Intelligence is built to jump in and help. If you spot a cool jacket on social media, simply tap the familiar screenshot button and launch a visual search. The system then scours services like Google Search or other apps you rely on, helping you track down that exact item in seconds.
It does not stop at fashion or internet trends. Spot a date, time, or venue in a message or image, and Visual Intelligence is ready to step in, recognizing the details and preparing a calendar event for you with barely a tap.
Apple Opens Visual Intelligence for Developers
Apple is not just keeping these tools for itself. Craig Federighi, Apple’s chief of software engineering, announced that developers can tap into Visual Intelligence using App Intents. This means third-party apps can offer visual searches within their own experiences so users will soon find these capabilities woven into more corners of the iPhone ecosystem.
Another practical feature lets you send a screenshot directly to ChatGPT. In a few taps, you can get extra insight, an explanation, or even have the content broken down for you right inside the conversation.
Federighi made it clear that this is not just about scanning a photo or identifying an object. The idea is to let people interact with all kinds of content visually, whether they are searching their photo library, browsing the web, or even just passing something by in their camera app.
This initiative highlights Apple’s push to make its devices actively help users in the smallest of moments, all while keeping familiar patterns and workflows intact.
Developers have already been given access to begin adding these capabilities, which sets the stage for a wave of apps that put image recognition and intuitive search front and center. For users, iOS 26 is shaping up to break down barriers between what you see, what you want to do, and how quickly you get things done.
