Find Photos with Siri Using Descriptions in iOS 18

In iOS 18, Apple Intelligence transforms Siri into a context-aware assistant capable of finding specific document photos using natural, conversational language. Instead of relying on manual tagging or exact dates, Siri leverages advanced on-device semantic search, optical character recognition (OCR), and visual intelligence to understand complex descriptive queries, identify document contents, and retrieve the exact image you need from your Photos library.

How Siri Locates Document Photos

Siri utilizes an on-device semantic index that catalogs both the visual elements and the text within your Photos library. When you ask Siri to find a document, the system processes your request through several integrated technologies:

  1. Natural Language Understanding: Siri parses conversational phrases, identifying key attributes such as document type, context, names, or approximate timeframes (for example, "Find the photo of my utility bill from last month").
  2. On-Device OCR (Live Text): The system continuously scans images for text, recognizing structured data such as license numbers, policy information, addresses, and receipts.
  3. Semantic Image Recognition: Machine learning models identify the visual characteristics of physical documents, differentiating between passports, receipts, business cards, vehicle registrations, and handwritten notes.
  4. App Intents and Cross-App Context: Through updated App Intents, Siri can cross-reference contextual details from other apps, such as dates in Messages or emails in Mail, to pinpoint the relevant document.

Examples of Conversational Search Prompts

You can invoke Siri by saying "Siri" or "Hey Siri" (or double-tapping the bottom bar if type-to-Siri is enabled) and speaking naturally:

  • Identification: "Show me the photo of my driver’s license."
  • Financial and Purchases: "Find the picture of the receipt from the electronics store last week."
  • Medical and Insurance: "Pull up the image of my health insurance card."
  • Travel: "Find the photo of the boarding pass I saved in June."

System Requirements

To use conversational photo search with Siri, your device must support Apple Intelligence:

  • An iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model.
  • iOS 18.1 or later installed.
  • Apple Intelligence enabled in Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri.
  • Photos indexing completed (the device indexes media while locked and connected to power).