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Despite the introduction of innovative functionalities in iOS 17 and iOS 18, iOS 16 remains a significant update, delivering a wealth of features many users engage with daily. This version notably enhanced the user experience and continues to be highly relevant for iPhone and iPad users.
iOS 16 debuted several impactful features, including a redesigned lock screen, message editing and unsending capabilities, and Live Activities. A particularly useful, yet perhaps less recognized, enhancement was the refined Visual Lookup tool, building upon its iOS 15 predecessor. This feature intelligently identifies subjects within your photos, allowing for effortless extraction and sharing without backgrounds.
Expanding on its capabilities, iOS 16 extended Visual Lookup’s functionality to Safari, enabling users to isolate subjects directly from website images. This capability, available within the Safari browser on both iPhone and iPad, might be unfamiliar to some users or require a reminder. Below, we provide a step-by-step walkthrough of how to utilize this feature.
Explore more about the advancements in iOS 18.4.
Utilizing Visual Lookup to Extract Images in Safari on iPhone and iPad
To clip images within the Safari web browser on your iPhone or iPad, follow these simple steps:
In Safari, locate the desired image and press and hold your finger on it for approximately one second. The image will appear to be isolated, and a contextual menu will pop up, presenting several options. Select
The image on the left shows the original photo, while the right demonstrates the subject isolated and pasted into a note using the Visual Lookup feature.
It’s important to note that the subject selection is automated. For optimal results, choose images where the primary subject is clearly distinguished from the background. As illustrated in the example above, an image featuring a skateboarder prominently positioned in the foreground was used successfully.
Once you have selected Copy Subject, you can seamlessly paste the clipped image subject into messaging applications to share with contacts. Alternatively, you can paste it into a saved note for personal use and storage. The accuracy of the clipping may vary, so for best outcomes, it is advised to choose images with a prominent and easily identifiable subject, ideally against a consistent background.
For further reading, discover how to manage Apple Intelligence settings.