Unlike the previous WWDC keynote, Apple didn’t spend much time talking about Apple Intelligence. After the Siri fiasco, where the company had to postpone the personal assistant’s onscreen awareness capabilities, Cupertino decided to play it safe with the AI features planned for this iOS 26 cycle.
Some of the new features include:
- Live Translation: Users can communicate across different languages with translated text and audio in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone apps.
- ChatGPT improvements: Users can ask ChatGPT about what they’re seeing onscreen to learn more. ChatGPT can also help users search on Google or Etsy for apps, products, or images.
- Genmoji and Image Playground updates: iOS 26 improves these Apple Intelligence features, allowing users to mix emoji, Genmoji, and descriptions.
- Order tracking details: When you receive emails from merchants or delivery carriers, iOS 26 can identify and summarize the tracking information.
These aren’t the only Apple Intelligence features coming with iOS 26. On Apple’s iOS 26 preview page, Image Playground can now be powered by ChatGPT to create the ever-popular anime-style images based on user input.
While Apple has been careful to call it “Anime” instead of anything resembling the Studio Ghibli-style AI animations people were creating, it’s fun to see Image Playground becoming a bit more useful.
Image Playground gets five new styles
The new Anime style isn’t the only one available in iOS 26. So far, Apple has added five different custom ChatGPT styles, including:
- Oil Painting: Very popular on social media, this style transforms any photo (or Genmoji, emoji, or description) into a Renaissance-like image.
- Watercolor: Adds a watercolor look to your creations. Ideal for enhancing sketches.
- Vector: Great for logos, icons, infographics, and posters.
- Anime: Turns your images into manga-style portraits, or use it for action scenes and fan art.
- Print: Similar to Vector, this one gives a retro or magazine-style look.
Along with these, Apple offers tips for creating the best images in Image Playground. You can combine themes like birthday or fantasy moods, and the app may suggest people or figures to include.
Free users of ChatGPT might only be able to create a limited number of images, and a subscription could be required for more daily options. Meanwhile, images created directly by Apple are unlimited.
Creating ChatGPT images using Apple Intelligence in iOS 26
Here’s how to create new Image Playground photos with ChatGPT:
- Once iOS 26 is available, open the Playground app on your iPhone 15 Pro or newer.
- Tap “New Image” at the bottom of the app.
- Select “Style,” then choose “ChatGPT.”
- A new window will appear with five ChatGPT styles to choose from.
Once you’re happy with your creation, you can save it and use it in iMessage, WhatsApp, and more.
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