With iOS 18.1, Apple released Enhanced Visual Search, which allows users to search for their photos using landmarks or points of interest in the Photos app. While this could be useful for rediscovering favorite moments, a report by The Register points out that Apple analyzes everyone’s photos with AI before you can even say you don’t want that, raising questions about its privacy claims.
Software developer Jeff Johnson discussed this issue in two write-ups. Basically, this is one of those features that Apple quietly releases but never talks about until someone discovers it. While Enhanced Visual Search initially seems harmless, it also doesn’t give users the decision to opt in or out of this feature.
Here’s how Apple explains this feature in a policy document:
Enhanced Visual Search in Photos allows you to search for photos using landmarks or points of interest. Your device privately matches places in your photos to a global index Apple maintains on our servers. We apply homomorphic encryption and differential privacy, and use an OHTTP relay that hides [your] IP address. This prevents Apple from learning about the information in your photos. You can turn off Enhanced Visual Search at any time on your iOS or iPadOS device by going to Settings > Apps > Photos. On Mac, open Photos and go to Settings > General.
A technical paper also explains that Enhanced Visual Search uses a local machine-learning model to analyze photos to look for a “region of interest.” If the AI model finds a likely match, it calculates a vector embedding representing that portion of the image. Then, through homomorphic encryption, it encrypts the data so no one can actually see your photo.
Still, the issue is Apple’s unilateral decision. You can’t opt out before your photo is analyzed. That said, Apple should be more vocal about not giving users a choice or at least changing how this process works.
To turn off Enhanced Visual Search, you need to follow the steps below:
- Go to Settings
- In the Apps tab, look for the Photos option
- Turn off Enhanced Visual Search
Still, even after you’ve done that, all of your photos have already been analyzed, so it doesn’t look like Apple is being careful about its privacy claims.
