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Visual Intelligence feature coming to iPhone 15 Pro with a future iOS update

Apple Intelligence is available for iPhone 15 Pro and later, but there’s an exclusive feature for iPhone 16 models, which is Visual Intelligence. Some believed this was because the iPhone 15 Pro lacks Camera Control, but that all changed with the iPhone 16e – which supports Visual Intelligence. Now Apple has confirmed that the feature will soon be available to iPhone 15 Pro owners too.

Apple confirms Visual Intelligence is coming to iPhone 15 Pro

An Apple spokesperson told Daring Fireball’s John Gruber (via MacMagazine) that a future iOS update will enable Visual Intelligence on iPhone 15 Pro models through the Action Button, just like on the recently announced iPhone 16e. There are no details on when exactly this will happen, but presumably the feature will be added with iOS 18.4.

For those unfamiliar, Visual Intelligence is a feature that is part of Apple Intelligence and lets people use the camera to learn more about the places and objects around them. The feature can also detect text and provide translations, summaries, or even read them aloud thanks to AI. In addition, Visual Intelligence lets users expand their searches with results from Google or ChatGPT.

On iPhone 16 models, Visual Intelligence is activated by pressing and holding Camera Control. For iPhone 16e users, the feature is available through the Action Button or a new Control Center toggle. The same will apply to the iPhone 15 Pro with the promised software update.

9to5Mac had already reported that Apple had been exploring this new way of opening Visual Intelligence since iOS 18.3 beta.

Visual Intelligence

Apple is expected to release the first beta of iOS 18.4 in the next few days. In addition to this change, the update will also expand Apple Intelligence support to more languages for the first time. However, according to recent rumors, the company may end up postponing the more advanced Siri with Onscreen Awareness due to engineering challenges.

Are you excited to have Visual Intelligence on the iPhone 15 Pro? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Avatar for Filipe Espósito Filipe Espósito

Filipe Espósito is a Brazilian tech Journalist who started covering Apple news on iHelp BR with some exclusive scoops — including the reveal of the new Apple Watch Series 5 models in titanium and ceramic. He joined 9to5Mac to share even more tech news around the world.