iOS 26 is expanding Visual Intelligence and will now allow users to search and ask questions related to what’s on their screen.
With this new feature, users can take a screenshot of anything on their iPhone’s screen and quickly perform an image search on Google or ask ChatGPT questions about it – all directly from the screenshot interface.
In this article, we’re taking a deep look at this new feature and how useful it will be once it becomes available to everyone in the fall.
The Visual Intelligence feature is available on select devices running iOS 26, which include:
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
Screenshot-Based Visual Intelligence in Action
The Visual Intelligence on-screen search feature is built right into the screenshot interface.
When you take a screenshot, just tap on the screenshot preview to expand it to full screen. Once there, you’ll see new controls labeled Ask and Image Search.
Targeted Image Search
iOS 26 goes beyond basic screenshot tools. You can highlight anything within the screenshot to perform a focused image search on that specific subject, instead of searching the whole image.
Once you encircle the subject, iOS sends that part of the image to Google Search. Google then returns the same or similar items in the results. For instance, if you’re looking at a product, Google can find similar products online, show pricing info, or even link you to a place to buy them.
Broader Screenshot Search
You can also tap on the Image Search button without highlighting anything. This lets you search for everything visible in the screenshot — ideal for broader searches when multiple items are on the screen.
Ask ChatGPT About Anything on Screen
Another exciting addition to Visual Intelligence is ChatGPT integration.
Users can tap on the Ask button to access ChatGPT. Once activated, ChatGPT will automatically scan the screenshot and provide more context or information about it. You can also type your questions in the text field to get answers based on what’s shown on the screen.
After you’re done searching with Visual Intelligence, just tap the X button to exit the interface.
Final Thoughts
So that was our look at the new Visual Intelligence features in iOS 26. This demo was done on the revised build of iOS 26 developer beta 1, and the feature may change in the final release this fall.
