recent release of iOS 18.2 Many of the promised Apple Intelligence features are finally here, such as Genmoji And Image Children's playground. One such long-awaited tool is Visual Intelligencea feature that is currently reserved for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max and which was first introduced on September company event.
What is visual intelligence?
Visual Intelligence is Apple's answer to Google Lens. It uses a camera system and artificial intelligence to analyze images in real time and provide useful information. It can help people learn more about the world around them and is especially useful when shopping, looking up details about a restaurant or business, translating written text, summarizing text, or reading something out loud. It can also integrate with Google Image Search and ChatGPT.
Are there any caveats?
There are two caveats. The rollout of Apple Intelligence has been a bit of a confusing mess, and that trend continues with Visual Intelligence. For now, these tools only work with the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, which are the most powerful of the company's latest phones. Apple has indicated that this feature may eventually become available for older models. Google Lens is, after all, exists since 2017when the Pixel 2 was the most popular phone on the market.
There is also a waitlist that applies to all Apple Intelligence features. To join the list, go to Settings and find “Apple Intelligence and Siri.” Then click “Join Waitlist.” After approval, the program will be ready for use.
How to use visual intelligence
As of this writing, the only way to launch Visual Intelligence is to long press the camera control button. This is the new control interface in the bottom right corner of the phone. Once clicked, the Visual Intelligence interface will open.
Now the fun begins. Just point your phone at something and select ChatGPT from the bottom-left icon or Google Image Search from the bottom-right icon. Alternatively, if the visual field contains text, tap the circle at the bottom of the screen. The telephone number can also be directed to the enterprise to obtain useful information.
How to interact with text
Point your phone at the text, activate Visual Intelligence, and tap the circle at the bottom of the screen. This will allow you to analyze the text. After analysis, there are several options. Click “Translate” at the bottom of the screen to translate the text into another language. Tap Read Aloud if you want Siri to read the text out loud. Click “Summarize” to get a summary of the copy.
The tool will also identify contact information in the text, such as phone numbers, email addresses, and websites. Users can perform actions based on the type of text. For example, click on a phone number to make a call. Other actions include sending an email, creating a calendar event, or going to a website. Click the More button to see all available options. Tap Close or swipe up to end your session.
How to interact with business
Visual intelligence can provide detailed information about the business that is right in front of you. Simply open the tool and point the camera at the sign. The company name should appear at the top of the screen. Click “Schedule” to see opening hours, or click “Order” to buy something. View the menu or available services by clicking “Menu” and make a reservation by clicking “Reservations”. To call the company, read reviews, or view the website, click More.
Swipe up or tap Close to end your session. This feature is currently only available to US customers.
What to do with ChatGPT
Start by pointing your camera at your subject. Activate Visual Intelligence and tap the ChatGPT icon in the bottom left corner of the screen. Click the “Ask” button to get information about the item. We used it on a bottle of hand cream which he correctly identified. A text box will then appear for additional questions. Users can ask whatever they want, but results may vary. We asked ChatGPT where to buy hand cream and how much it costs. He coped with this task excellently. Hooray for shopping.
Click the Close button or swipe up to clear all fields, which will also turn off Visual Intelligence.
What to do with Google Image Search
Selecting Google Image Search will open a Safari dialog containing similar photos taken from the Internet. A good use case here is to find deals. We took a photo of a bottle of hand cream and the Safari results had many different price points to choose from. However, users have to find the best deal and make the purchase themselves.
Click the Close button to clear these results, and then swipe up from the bottom of the screen to close the tool.