WWDC 2024: Safari Will Feature An AI-Powered Browsing Assistant with iOS 18

The backend code that Nicolás Álvarez found suggests that iOS 18 could include a new browsing helper for Safari. MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris confirmed that the code exists, although details are still limited.

Álvarez first hypothesized that the browsing assistant in Safari would prioritize user privacy while using the architecture of iCloud Private Relay to provide pertinent data to Apple. This gave rise to rumors that the functionality will need an iCloud+ membership, but this is still up for debate.
Álvarez then changed their comment, implying that there may not be a connection between this functionality and iCloud Private Relay after all.

One of the many new generative AI features that are anticipated to launch with iOS 18 on the iPhone later this year is the addition of a browsing assistant in Safari. A number of iPhone web browsers already include AI features, such Arc Search, which provides site summaries for easy access to information, and Microsoft Edge, which has Copilot powered by GPT-4.

Additionally, Álvarez discovered hints of a “Encrypted Visual Search” function in the server backend code of Apple, but specifics are yet unknown. Steve Moser, a contributor to MacRumors, discovered clues about a Visual Search function for Apple’s Vision Pro headset in the visionOS beta code last year.

Among other things, this functionality would allow users to copy text from the real world and paste it into apps. This functionality hasn’t been used yet, however. It’s conceivable that Apple is working on improving this function for further security. Alternatively, the code could relate to the Visual Look Up tool that is now available on the iPhone, which recognizes items in images and videos.

We should find out more about these possible new capabilities in the next months as Apple is set to reveal iOS 18 at its WWDC keynote on June 10.