Apple will launch iOS 18 this fall, and the update seems to include a new iPhone feature called Encrypted Visual Search, but little do we know about it now.
Nicolás Álvarez discovered references to a pair of new iPhone features hiding in the backend code on Apple’s servers. The first is called Safari Browsing Assistant, and iDB covered it separately. The second is dubbed Encrypted Visual Search.
Álvarez shared no additional details that could help us discern what these features do but noted on X that they seem to use the Private Relay infrastructure.
Encrypted Visual Search could be for Vision Pro
One plausible theory is that Encrypted Visual Search could be tied to a potential new feature believed to be in the works for the Vision Pro headset.
MacRumors contributor Steve Moser last year discovered a new Visual Search feature for Apple Vision Pro in the visionOS beta code, which would allow users to copy and paste printed text from the real world into apps and more.
Visual Search has yet to launch.
It is possible that Apple is planning to debut a more secure version of the feature. However, the code could also relate to the iPhone’s existing Visual Look Up feature that can identify objects in photos and videos.
Coming in iOS 18:
– "Safari browsing assistant"
– "Encrypted visual search"Both features seem to use the Private Relay infrastructure to send data to Apple (so that they don't know your IP?).
— Nicolás Álvarez (@nicolas09F9) April 10, 2024
When will iOS 18 launch?
Apple is scheduled to showcase the juiciest new features coming with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15 and other updates this fall during the WWDC24 keynote, which takes place on June 10 at 10am PT.
Following the release of the iOS 18 developer beta later that day, we’ll have a better picture of everything new in iOS 18, including Encrypted Visual Search.
What is iCloud Private Relay?
Private Relay launched alongside iOS 15 and is available with an iCloud+ subscription. Turned off by default, iCloud Private Relay routes all web traffic in Safari (with some exceptions) through a pair of separate internet relays, one operated by Apple and the other by CloudFlare.
It boosts your privacy by preventing anyone, including your internet service provider, from logging your website visits and IP addresses. You must have a paid iCloud+ plan or an Apple One subscription to use iCloud Private Relay.