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Whenever I’m snapping photos with my iPhone, I occasionally spot an animal, plant, landmark, painting, or some other object that piques my curiosity. In those situations, I want a fast way to learn more about what I’m looking at. Fortunately, that’s now something I can do effortlessly thanks to the new Siri mode built into the iOS 27 Camera app.
Also: I put Siri AI through the same tests I use for ChatGPT and Gemini on MacOS 27 — here’s how it performed
Right now offered as part of the iOS 27 developer beta, Siri mode is a fresh addition to the camera’s existing modes, joining Photo, Video, Portrait, and Pano. When you’re looking at something through the camera, simply tap the Siri mode icon. From that point, you can speak to Siri about what you see, run a Google search on it, or send a photo of the object directly to Siri for further analysis.
What’s the major Siri upgrade in iOS 27?
If this reminds you of the Visual Intelligence feature that arrived with iOS 18.2, you’re not wrong — it’s essentially the same concept. But here’s the key distinction. On the current iOS release with a compatible device, you have to activate Visual Intelligence as a separate step. That requires leaving the Camera app and then launching the feature, which feels clunky. With iOS 27, you can initiate Siri while staying right inside the Camera app, so you never lose sight of what you’re looking at. That’s a meaningful enhancement, and one I genuinely value.
Just like with any other photo, you can zoom in or zoom out while in Siri mode to frame as much or as little of the object as you’d like. Based on what’s in view, Siri may show a label naming the item. Pressing the shutter button then snaps the image so Siri can examine it more thoroughly. Tapping the picture icon on the right triggers a Google search using the photo to find visually similar images. Tapping the Ask Siri icon on the left brings up a prompt with a thumbnail of your image, letting you type or speak a question about it.
Also: Will your iPhone support Siri AI? The answer is complicated
Other kinds of content in your photo will surface extra options. Point your camera at a specific date, time, and location, and Siri might suggest adding it to your calendar. Aim it at a menu, sign, or any text written in a foreign language, and Siri could offer to translate it for you.
What do you need to get this working?
First, you’ll need an iPhone that’s compatible with Apple Intelligence and the upgraded Siri AI. That covers the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any device in the iPhone 16 or 17 series.
Second, you’ll need to download and install the iOS 27 developer beta. On that note, I’d strongly recommend installing it on a spare or secondary iPhone rather than your primary device. Developer betas can be unpredictable, and you don’t want to risk any issues on your everyday phone.
Third, you need to sign up for the Siri AI waitlist. And “waitlist” is truly the right word here, because you may end up waiting a considerable amount of time before Apple gives you access. After I registered, it took nearly a full week before Siri AI appeared on my phone.
With iOS 27 and Siri AI running on my test iPhone 15 Pro, I’ve been trying out the new Siri AI mode with my camera. Here’s how it went.
Here, I pointed my camera at a pigeon I spotted on the street. After tapping Siri mode in the Camera app, it identified the bird as a rock dove. I then pressed the shutter button, and Siri provided additional details about it. I went on to ask Siri whether these birds are common in New York City. Siri confirmed that they are indeed widespread throughout NYC, noting that tall structures serve as a perfect substitute for their natural cliff-based habitats.
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Here, I photographed the Statue of Liberty through the camera. Once I hit the shutter button, Siri immediately recognized it. I then asked Siri how it ended up in the United States, and it walked me through the story of how the statue was taken apart, transported across the Atlantic Ocean, and then put back together on what was originally called Bedloe’s Island — today known as Liberty Island.
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Next, I asked Siri to identify some pieces of artwork at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. On this occasion, the initial results fell short. Siri got two paintings wrong — one by Mary Cassatt and another by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Each time, I informed Siri of the mistake. It then managed to correctly recognize the Cassatt painting but admitted it couldn’t confidently identify the Renoir.
On the third attempt, I presented a painting by Vincent Van Gogh, and this time Siri nailed it immediately, naming both the artwork and the artist without hesitation. I then tapped the button to run a Google search, and the results page displayed links to sites where I could purchase a print of the painting.
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After that, I pointed my phone at a page in a Metropolitan Opera booklet promoting upcoming operas for the new season. Specifically, I focused on a page featuring Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute. This time, I tapped the Ask Siri button and asked Siri to give me a summary of the opera. In response, Siri outlined the storyline, introduced the key characters, and highlighted the notable moments from the production.
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Following that, I directed the camera toward a Chinese-language menu. Siri offered a broad overview of what Chinese restaurant menus typically feature. I then hit the Translate option, and the menu converted to English. The text on the menu was too tiny to read clearly, and I couldn’t zoom into the photo directly. However, by taking a screenshot, I was able to open it in the Photos app and pinch to zoom for a better look at the wording.
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After that, I snapped a photo of the exterior of the Museum of the City of New York. Once Siri provided a general description of the museum, I asked about its location and operating hours. Siri responded with the full address along with the days and times the museum is open to visitors.
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Lastly, I aimed the camera at a flyer for a writing event in Brooklyn that listed its dates. The Siri interface showed an option to add the event to my calendar. Once I tapped it, the event was saved in my calendar with the correct date, time, and all other relevant information.
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Because Siri AI is still in its early beta phase, I did encounter a handful of issues. At times, Siri was unable to recognize objects or misidentified them. On other occasions, the AI was slow to respond or simply gave up and asked me to try again later. Hopefully, these glitches will be resolved by the time the updated Siri officially launches alongside iOS 27 in September.
