We know that AI is coming to the iPhone but exactly what will be included is still a secret. But a new leak suggests that the core web browser on the iPhone, Safari, is about to reap the benefits of AI capabilities.
Apple iOS 18 is coming soon.
As reported by AppleInsider, the introduction of artificial intelligence will bring tweaks to how the user interface is deployed, for instance. The new updates will be touched on at the upcoming World Wide Developers Conference, for sure, but Safari looks likely to also include advanced blocking features for unwanted content.
This fits with how Apple has been prioritizing privacy in recent years, making it hard or impossible for apps to track users’ activities, for instance. This will lead to something called Web Eraser, the report claims, saying, “As its name would imply, it’s designed to allow users to remove, or erase, specific portions of web pages…The feature is expected to build upon existing privacy features within Safari and will allow users to erase unwanted content from any webpage of their choosing. Users will have the option to erase banner ads, images, text or even entire page sections, all with relative ease.”
This sounds highly attractive to users—though less so to advertisers. And since the blocking will be “persistent” rather than limited to one session, the browser will remember your choices even after you’ve closed the original web session.
It will allow users to revert changes if they want to.
There’ll also be a cool new feature called Intelligent Search, the report says. It will offer new page controls menu and, the report says, “The menu consolidates—and provides quick access to—old and new page control tools, among them being the browser’s new ‘Intelligent Search’ feature.”
According to the report, this feature will leverage on-device, rather than in-the-cloud AI technology, keeping privacy and security front-and-center for the browser. It will identify topics and key phrases within a web page to allow text summaries.
The introduction of AI will also bring new page control menus to provide easy access to options that were previously “located across different menus and the Share Sheet.”
It should mean that options to zoom in and out, settings for privacy controls, content blocking choices and more should be easier to find and use.
And after that, in 2025, there could be more powerful visual search features coming, with the report saying, “People familiar with the tool say it’s similar to the Visual Lookup feature, through which Siri can identify plants, pets and landmarks from photos.
More as we have it.
Alex Mitchell is your go-to expert for all things mobile. With a passion for the latest smartphones, apps, and mobile innovations, Alex provides in-depth reviews, insightful analyses, and breaking news about the ever-evolving world of mobile technology. Stay connected with Alex to navigate the fast-paced realm of mobile devices.
