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How to use Visual Intelligence on Mac in macOS 27

ByRSS Feed September 23, 2026 2:00 pm

In this step-by-step tutorial, we show you how to set up and use Visual Intelligence in macOS Golden Gate so you can ask Siri about anything on your computer screen, do reverse image search, and take quick actions.

Visual Intelligence on iPhone running iOS 18.2 or later lets you point the camera at an object and get more information about it.

With macOS 27 Golden Gate, Apple has added Visual Intelligence to Mac. It lets you select the entire screen, a specific app window, or a portion of the screen to ask Siri AI about it. You can have Siri explain what it sees on the screen, in an image or in a PDF, and find related information, translate text, summarize text, and more.

If Siri recognizes action-based content, like a URL, it will show easy options to take an action like visit that page. Similarly, if the screen has a date and time, you should see options to add it as a calendar event or reminder, or if it’s a number or address, you may see an option to add it to your contacts, and so on.

Visual Intelligence on Mac also lets you do a reverse image search. So, if you’re on a screen showing a nice dress, you can search for more related pictures of that dress.

Before you begin: Make sure you have set up the new Siri AI on your Mac.

Remember a simple keyboard shortcut for Visual Intelligence

If you use a Mac, there is a high chance you’re familiar with screenshot keyboard shortcuts, namely:

Command + Shift + 3 (for full-screen capture)
Command + Shift + 4 (selection capture), and
Command + Shift + 5 (to open the screenshot tool)

1) Apple has kept the learning curve minimal for Visual Intelligence, and you can trigger it on Mac using the Command + Shift + 6 keyboard combination.

2) This shows the same crosshair icon you get when pressing Command + Shift + 4; just that the selector tool is a bit thicker with Liquid Glass effect on the edges. Drag to select the image, PDF page, or portion of the screen you’re curious about, then let go.

Tip: You can change the shape and size using the eight little dots on the four edges of the selector. Or, you can hold the Option key during selection to increase the selection size proportionally on all sides or the Shift key to change only one side. However, like the Command + Shift + 4 tool, holding the Space Bar doesn’t move the Visual Intelligence selector area.

3) Once you let go of the selection, you’ll now see “Ask Siri,” “Image Search,” and other relevant options (if any, more on it below).

4) Type what you want in the Ask Siri box, and press the return / enter key.

Siri AI will reply shortly with relevant information.

Image Search uses Google to search and shows related media in a small window.

Depending on what you selected, you may also see other quick action buttons like Add to Calendar, Add to Contacts, Translate, visit URL, etc. Just click one to take action.

Use Visual Intelligence in the screenshot tool

I recommend Command + Shift + 6 as it’s memorable and better for quick everyday use. However, if you want to ask Siri about a whole app window or full screen, you can use this method as well.

1) Press the Command + Shift + 5 keys to open the usual macOS screenshot tool.

2) Click one of the three usual screen capture selectors on the left (Capture Entire Screen, Capture Selected Window, or Capture Selected Portion).

3) Then, click the Siri icon, as shown in the screenshot below, followed by Ask Siri.

Note: You can also reverse this: click the Siri icon first and then one of the three usual screen capture selectors.

4) You’ll now see the usual Ask Siri and Image Search options already discussed under the above heading.

Results are not always accurate

Like other AI tools, Siri AI can also make mistakes. For instance, in the screenshot below, I asked it for related Cybercab wallpapers, but it showed me old Tesla car photos instead.

Similarly, if you ask it a question about a food item on the screen or something related, take its answer with a pinch of salt. It cannot always recognize the right dish or give you the correct nutritional values.

Also, check out:

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2026/09/23/visual-intelligence-mac/

Apple limits new camera texture and grain controls after compatibility wording change

ByRSS Feed September 23, 2026 1:57 pm

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max feature the most advanced camera Apple has ever made and deliver massive leaps in battery life and performance.

Apple has narrowed the availability of new Texture and Grain controls for Photographic Styles, restricting the tools to the latest iPhone 18 Pro models and the upcoming iPhone Duo after earlier wording suggested broader support.

MacRumors‘ Tim Hardwick reported that Apple’s original iPhone 18 Pro launch materials said the controls would be “available in iOS 27 on iPhone models that support the latest generation of Photographic Styles.” That language appeared in copies of the launch-day press release. Apple’s iOS 27 user guide also listed devices supporting the latest Photographic Styles as the iPhone 16 series, iPhone 17 series, iPhone Air, and iPhone 18 Pro models.

Apple has since revised the footnote on its Newsroom announcement. It now says Texture and Grain controls are available only for photos captured on iPhone 18 Pro models and with the Ultra Wide, Main, and Center Stage cameras on the iPhone Duo. The company also states in the iOS 27 user guide that changing a photo’s texture can be done “on iPhone 18 Pro models.”

It is unclear whether Apple originally planned to bring the feature to older compatible devices and later changed course, or whether the first wording was published in error. Apple has not commented on the revision.

Photographic Styles are tone presets that adjust color and warmth while aiming to preserve skin tones. Texture and Grain add extra creative control on top of those styles, but that extra layer is now framed as a current-generation camera capability rather than a software feature for every phone that already supports the latest Photographic Styles.

The change has drawn criticism from users who argue there is no obvious technical reason to withhold a software camera control from recent iPhones that already run iOS 27 and support the newest Photographic Styles. Apple has a long history of reserving some camera processing features for the newest hardware, even when older models remain software-supported.
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If you want all of the new features, you need the newest hardware, as usual.

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Source link: https://macdailynews.com/2026/09/23/apple-limits-new-camera-texture-and-grain-controls-after-compatibility-wording-change/