Apple iOS 18 may feature new Safari browsing assistant
What's the story
Apple's upcoming iOS 18 might introduce a new Safari browsing assistant, as per backend code discovered on Apple's servers by coder Nicolas Alvarez. This finding was later confirmed by Aaron Perris, a contributor to MacRumors. The specifics of this browsing assistant remain undisclosed at the moment. It is speculated to be one of several new AI-driven features set to debut with iOS 18 later this year.
Clarification
Speculation surrounding the new feature
Alvarez initially suggested that the Safari browsing assistant might utilize iCloud Private Relay's infrastructure to transmit relevant data to Apple, thereby maintaining user privacy. This led to speculation that an iCloud+ subscription could be required for this feature. However, Alvarez later clarified that the iCloud Private Relay may not be associated with this new feature.
Discovery
Encrypted Visual Search is another upcoming facility
In addition to the browsing assistant, Alvarez found code suggesting an "Encrypted Visual Search" feature. While information about this feature is limited, it could potentially be linked to a new Visual Search feature discovered last year in visionOS beta code for Apple Vision Pro by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser. This facility would allow users to copy and paste printed text from the physical world into apps and more.