Apple is rumored to be preparing numerous AI features specifically for Safari that should debut with iOS 18 and macOS 15. The new features include an advanced content removal and blocking tool in addition to a text summarization feature, reports AppleInsider.
Per the report, the pillar of Safari’s new AI features is a new tool dubbed “Intelligent Search” that will offer text summariation for webpages right within the browser. The tool will leverage Apple’s on-device Large Language Model (LLM) the company is said to announce with iOS 18. Text summarization is one of the most popular generarive AI features to date as offered by ChatGPT, and is already offered by many competing browsers like Microsoft’s Bing and Arc.
Apple is expected to tout the privacy of “Intelligent Search” as it will run mostly on-device with iOS 18 and macOS 15. The feature could also rely on iCloud Private Relay if needed, meaning that users’ privacy will still be preserved even with cloud processing.
Apple is also prepraing an advanced content removal tool dubbed “Web Eraser.” The new feature will allow users to remove or erase specific content from webpages on devices running iOS 18. “Web Eraser” is said to be an iteration over the existing capabailites of Safari’s content blocking feature, but the Eraser is said to be even more powerful, empowring users to hide content including ads, images, text, and entire page sections.
The removed content will stay hidden even if users delete the tab or quit Safari. Apple plans to include an alert to users reminding them that content has been modified once Safari is reopened, offering them a quick option to restore the webpage’s content to its original state on their iOS 18 and macOS 15 devices if they desire.
To go along with the new features, a simplified and reworked options menu is prepared for Safari across iPadOS 18 and macOS 15. The new menu will consolidate several options in one menu that is easier for users to access. As expected, Web Eraser and Intelligent Search will be accessible through this menu.
Beyond these changes, Apple is working on an AI-powered Visual Lookup feature scheduled for release in 2025. The new iteration is said to be system-wide, meaning that users will be able to lookup more information on images and “consumer products” within Safari and other apps instead of being limited to Photos. However, the report warns that work on this feature remains early and it might not be available until iOS 19.
The new AI-powered Safari capabilites could be related to a browser assistant tool that was rumored a few weeks ago. Backend code suggested these features might have a cloud processing element to them as Apple continues to negotiate with OpenAI, Google, and Baidu on providing AI infrastructure. Nevertheless, most of the AI features Apple has in store for iOS 18 are said to run on-device, with features said to span Siri, Messages, Apple Music, Xcode, and more.
