Safari to get an AI boost in iOS 18, macOS 15 with smarter search, web page ‘eraser’

Much of the noise being made about Apple’s efforts into AI has been focused on general improvements to iOS 18 and Siri as well as the upcoming M4 chip for the Mac. However, as we get closer to WWDC, more reports about the AI software that Apple will create are coming out, with the most recent one covering Apple’s efforts to enhance the next major version of Safari.

AppleInsider reports that the company is working on a new “Intelligent Search” feature that uses on-device AI to summarize a web page. The language learning model that Apple has developed can identify key phrases and topics that give an idea of what a web page’s content is about and create a summary for the user.

Other features that Apple is working on include:

• A Web Eraser that gives users the option to remove parts of a web page. This includes ads, text, and images. Safari will remember the parts that have been removed when the page is closed, and if the page is revisited, Safari alerts the user that the page has been modified.
• A new page controls menu that appears in the address bar. This menu essentially collects user controls that are spread throughout Safari (text size, zoom, Reader mode, Privacy Report, and more).
• An AI enhancement to Visual Lookup that gives users product information. This feature could also be implemented system-wide, not just in Safari.

Apple plans to implement the new Safari 18 features in both iOS 18 and macOS 15, which will be announced at WWDC24 on June 10. The report claims some features, such as the AI Visual Lookup, may not be available until 2025. That tracks with previous rumors that have suggested AI features will be rolled out in waves. AppleInsider also reported recently on Apple’s plans to update the Notes and Calculator apps.

For the latest news and rumors, check out our iOS 18 and macOS 15 superguides. And learn more about WWDC24 in June.