Unlocking Visual Intelligence on iPhone with iOS 18.2

Discover how to leverage Visual Intelligence on your iPhone 16 with iOS 18.2, Apple’s answer to Google Lens, offering a range of functionalities from object identification to text translation.

Back in September, the iPhone 16 series hit the scene with iOS 18, but let’s be honest—it was iOS 18.1 and the later 18.2 that really started showing off Apple’s AI chops. Enter Visual Intelligence, a slick feature that’s all about making your iPhone 16 feel like it’s got a brain of its own. But here’s the catch: you’ll need the new Camera Control feature and iOS 18.2 to get in on the action. (Yeah, it’s exclusive to the iPhone 16 crowd—sorry, older model fans.)

Think of Visual Intelligence as Apple’s answer to Google Lens, but with a twist. Point your camera at something, and boom—ChatGPT jumps in to tell you what it is or even fire off a Google Search based on what you’re seeing. And it’s not just about objects; this thing can summarize text, translate languages on the fly, and yes, even read stuff out loud if you’re feeling lazy.

Want to give it a whirl? First, make sure Apple Intelligence is turned on in your settings. You might need to join a waitlist or download some data—because good things come to those who wait, right? Once you’re all set, just press and hold that Camera Control button, aim at your target, and hit ‘Ask’ or ‘Search’. Suddenly, the world’s your oyster.

From figuring out what that weird plant in your friend’s apartment is to ordering pizza without typing a word, Visual Intelligence has got your back. But here’s the kicker: thanks to that Camera Control requirement, it’s a party only iPhone 16 users can crash. Talk about a reason to upgrade, huh?