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Apple’s documented Visual Intelligence workflows run on supported iPhones, not Mac. On iPhone, the feature can interpret a live camera view or help you act on a screenshot; compatible Macs support other Apple Intelligence features, but Apple’s current materials do not establish a Mac Visual Intelligence workflow.
What can Visual Intelligence do?
With the iPhone camera pointed at something nearby, Visual Intelligence can help you search for similar items online, look up a business, identify plants and animals, interact with text, or create a calendar event. Depending on the business, its results may include hours, menus or services, reservation options, or delivery information. See Apple’s Visual Intelligence guide for camera-based use.
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For material already displayed on your phone, a screenshot can bring up tools to search the image, select an object to search, ask a question, open a relevant website, summarize or read text aloud, identify a plant or animal, or create a calendar event from a flyer or invitation. The tools available depend on what is in the screenshot. Apple describes this workflow in its guide to Visual Intelligence on your iPhone screen.
How do I use Visual Intelligence on iPhone?
Use the camera to explore something around you
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Open Visual Intelligence using a supported entry point: Camera Control, a customized Action button, a Lock Screen control, or Control Center.
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Point the camera at the object, text, animal, plant, or business you want to explore.
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Choose an available action, such as visual search or a text-related action. Options vary with what the camera sees.
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Camera Control is not the only route: Apple lists the Action button, Lock Screen, and Control Center as alternatives for supported iPhones without Camera Control. The current steps are in Apple’s camera-based guide.
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On the screen you want to examine, press the side button and volume-up button together to take a screenshot.
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Choose one of the tools offered for that screenshot, such as visual search, a question about the content, text summarization, read-aloud, or a calendar action.
The screenshot workflow and its available tools are documented in Apple’s screen-content guide.
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Camera view or screenshot: which should I use?
| Approach | Input | How to start | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camera-based Visual Intelligence | Live view of the physical surroundings | Open through Camera Control, the Action button, Lock Screen, or Control Center | Exploring real-world objects, businesses, plants, animals, or text |
| Visual Intelligence on screen content | A screenshot of what is displayed on the iPhone | Press the side button and volume-up button, then select an available tool | Searching, asking about, or acting on material already on the screen |
Can I use Visual Intelligence on my Mac?
Apple’s current iPhone guides describe Visual Intelligence for the iPhone camera and iPhone screenshots. Apple supports Apple Intelligence on Mac, but its reviewed system requirements and availability information does not identify Visual Intelligence as a Mac feature. Do not assume that the iPhone camera or screenshot workflows are available in macOS; see Apple’s current Apple Intelligence requirements and availability.
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Apple’s current guide says Apple Intelligence on iOS 27 or later is available on an enabled iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 16 model or later. Eligibility also depends on supported software, language, and region. Because Apple’s live requirements can change, check its system requirements and availability page for your device and location, and keep iOS current.
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Can Visual Intelligence identify a plant or translate text?
Apple explicitly lists identifying plants and animals among Visual Intelligence’s capabilities. It also documents interacting with text, but the cited guides do not specify a standalone translation function. Available text actions depend on the content and the tools shown, so do not treat text interaction as a guarantee that every language or image can be translated. Apple also cautions that outputs may vary and should be checked for accuracy.
Privacy, optional ChatGPT, and usage limits
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Visual image search is subject to the search provider’s terms of use and privacy policies.
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Asking ChatGPT about an object requires the optional ChatGPT extension to be turned on first.
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Apple says some server-side Apple Intelligence features have daily usage limits. Limits may vary with request complexity, system demand, and other factors; availability is not necessarily uniform.
For Apple’s description of Apple Intelligence availability across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, see its October 28, 2024 announcement. The current device, software, language, and regional details are on Apple’s requirements page.
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