Screenshots in iOS 26 are changing in a big way, with new powers that will provide more reasons than ever to take a screenshot on your iPhone.Here’s what’s new.Visual intelligence offers new reasons to take screenshots in iOS 26 Historically, there have been two main reasons to take a screenshot on your iPhone: To save an image for later Or to share an image with someone else But iOS 26 is going to add three more to the list.
That’s because on Apple Intelligence-compatible devices, screenshots are getting a visual intelligence upgrade in iOS 26 that adds three brand new capabilities.Each visual intelligence feature lets you take action on a screenshot’s contents in different ways.Here’s what’s coming.
#1: Add to Calendar Scroll across info for an upcoming event? In iOS 26, you can snap a screenshot and see a new option at the bottom: Add to Calendar.Rather than needing to manually add events to your calendar, this new button will extract the details of the captured event and auto-populate a new calendar entry.What’s left for you to do? Just tap to confirm.
#2: Image Search with Google, Etsy, more Image Search is another powerful new screenshot tool in iOS 26.Snap a screenshot and you’ll see an option in the bottom-right corner to do a search of similar images.Often you’ll see Google powering this feature, but Apple says it’s even broader than that: Shopping is definitely going to be a popular use case for the new Image Search feature.
#3: Ask ChatGPT Have a question about what’s in your screenshot? Now you can ask ChatGPT about it.A new ‘Ask’ button in the bottom-left corner of the screenshot interface invokes OpenAI’s assistant.You can type out any question you’d like, and ChatGPT will analyze the image and respond accordingly.
There’s even an option to highlight a specific part of a screenshot that you want to ask ChatGPT about.No need to crop an image first to get a more precise response.Screenshot features in iOS 26: wrap-up Visual intelligence has grown increasingly useful as a camera feature, but integrating the Apple Intelligence feature into screenshots should make it far more popular.
Plus, if this past year’s steady improvement of visual intelligence in iOS 18 is any indication, we’re likely to see new iOS 26 screenshot powers added over time, too.What do you think of the new screenshot features in iOS 26? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessories AirPods Pro 2 (now only $169, down from $249) MagSafe Car Mount for iPhone HomeKit smart plug 4-pack 10-year AirTag battery case 2-pack 100W USB-C power adapter for fast charging You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day.
Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop.Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel
