How to Use Visual Intelligence in macOS 27: Ask Siri, Search & More

What Is Visual Intelligence on Mac?

Visual Intelligence is an Apple Intelligence feature that can understand content displayed on your Mac screen. Instead of manually describing what you are looking at, you can select the relevant part of your screen and let Visual Intelligence use it as context.

According to Apple's macOS 27 preview, Visual Intelligence on Mac can work with onscreen content such as an image or PDF. Depending on what you select, available actions may include asking Siri AI a question, searching for related images, or looking up specific information.

For example, Apple's macOS 27 demonstration shows a food image selected from an email. Visual Intelligence then offers options including "Ask Siri", "Image Search", and "Look Up Nutrition".

What Do You Need to Use Visual Intelligence on macOS 27?

Before using macOS 27 Visual Intelligence, make sure your Mac meets the current Apple Intelligence and Visual Intelligence requirements.

• macOS 27: Visual Intelligence comes to Mac as part of macOS 27 Golden Gate.
• A compatible Mac: Apple Intelligence in macOS 27 supports Mac models with M1 or later, as well as MacBook Neo with A18 Pro.
• Apple Intelligence enabled: Apple Intelligence must be available and enabled on your Mac.
• A supported language: Apple currently says Visual Intelligence requires the device language to be set to a supported English variant.

You do not need to turn on Visual Intelligence on Mac separately. You can check Apple Intelligence settings by going to "Apple menu > System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri".

If you meet these requirements, you can access Visual Intelligence while viewing the content you want to analyze.

How to Open Visual Intelligence on macOS 27?

Visual Intelligence is designed to work directly with content on your display. You do not need to open a separate image recognition app first. There are two main ways to access Visual Intelligence on Mac: use the keyboard shortcut or open it from the Screenshot toolbar.

Method 1. Use the Visual Intelligence Keyboard Shortcut

A dedicated keyboard shortcut provides the fastest way to access Visual Intelligence while you are working on your Mac.

• Open the image, PDF, webpage, email, or other content you want to analyze.

• Use the Visual Intelligence keyboard shortcut.

• Drag the pointer over the part of the screen you want to analyze.

• Release the pointer and wait for the available Visual Intelligence actions to appear.

• Select an action based on what you want to do.

Method 2. Open Visual Intelligence from the Screenshot Toolbar

You can also access Visual Intelligence through the macOS screenshot controls. This is useful if you cannot remember the dedicated shortcut or it does not respond.

• Press Shift + Command + 5 to open the Screenshot toolbar.

• Select the "Visual Intelligence" option.

• Drag over the area of the screen you want to analyze.

  

• Release the pointer after selecting the content.

• Choose one of the available actions.

The options you see can vary depending on what Visual Intelligence recognizes. An image, text block, food item, or other object may produce different actions.

How to Use Visual Intelligence on Mac?

To use Visual Intelligence on Mac, open the feature, select the content you want macOS to understand, and then choose an available action. Here are some practical ways to use Visual Intelligence in macOS 27.

1 Ask Siri About Something on Your Screen

"Ask Siri" lets you use selected onscreen content as visual context for a question.

For example, you can select part of an image, PDF, webpage, chart, or document and choose "Ask Siri". Siri can then use the selected content when answering your question.

Depending on the content, you could ask questions such as:

• "What is this?"
• "What does this image show?"
• "Tell me more about this object."

This can be useful for identifying or learning more about a plant, landmark, food item, or another unfamiliar object on your screen. Instead of describing it manually, you can select it and ask Siri AI directly.

2 Search for Similar Images or Objects

"Image Search" lets you find visually related images or objects based on content selected on your screen.

Select the object you are interested in and choose "Image Search" when the option is available.

This may be useful for content such as:

• clothing
• furniture
• products
• artwork
• plants or other objects in photos

For example, if you see a chair you like while browsing a webpage, you can select the chair rather than trying to describe its exact design in a traditional search.

Visual search results can vary based on the image and how clearly the selected object can be recognized.

3 Summarize Onscreen Content

Visual Intelligence can help summarize visible content from a webpage, PDF, document, or other information displayed on your Mac.

Select the section you want help with, choose "Ask Siri", and ask for a summary or explanation of the selected content.

Useful prompts could include:

• "Summarize this."
• "Explain this in simple terms."
• "What are the main points?"

Because the selected content provides the context, you do not need to manually copy and paste the information into a separate AI tool.

For long documents, select the specific visible section you want help with rather than assuming Visual Intelligence will analyze every page of the document.

4 Translate Text on Your Screen

You can use Visual Intelligence with text displayed in another language and ask Siri to translate the selected content.

This can be useful for webpages, images containing text, documents, or other foreign-language content you encounter while using your Mac.

For example, you can select the text and ask:

• "Translate this into English."
• "What does this text mean in English?"

The quality of the result depends on whether the text can be clearly recognized and whether the relevant language and Siri features are supported.

5 Take Action Based on Onscreen Information

Visual Intelligence can also provide contextual actions based on what it recognizes on your screen, rather than only identifying or explaining the content.

According to Apple's Visual Intelligence documentation for developers, apps can integrate with Visual Intelligence so users can search for content and perform supported actions.

For example, a recognized content may produce different actions. Review any extracted details before completing an action, especially when the information includes dates, names, numbers, or other details that need to be accurate.

6 Look Up Nutrition Information

Visual Intelligence can show nutrition information when it recognizes supported food content on your screen.

When the feature recognizes a food item, you may see an option such as "Look Up Nutrition". Select it to view available nutritional information related to the food.

However, not every food image will necessarily show the same option. Available actions depend on what Visual Intelligence recognizes.

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Visual Intelligence Not Working on Mac? Try These Fixes

If Visual Intelligence is missing or does not open on your Mac, first check the compatibility. In many cases, the feature is unavailable because one of its requirements has not been met.

1 Check Whether Your Mac Supports Apple Intelligence

Visual Intelligence depends on Apple Intelligence.

For macOS 27, Apple lists compatible Mac models with "M1 or later", along with "MacBook Neo with A18 Pro", as supporting Apple Intelligence.

If you have an older Intel-based Mac, updating macOS alone will not add Apple Intelligence support.

2 Update Your Mac to macOS 27

Visual Intelligence on Mac is introduced with macOS 27, so you will not find the Mac version of this feature on an older macOS release.

Go to: "Apple menu > System Settings > General > Software Update".

Check the macOS version currently installed and install an available macOS 27 update if your Mac supports it.

If you are using a macOS 27 beta, installing the latest available beta may also resolve bugs affecting new features.

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3 Make Sure Apple Intelligence Is Enabled

Visual Intelligence relies on Apple Intelligence, so check that it is enabled on your Mac.

Go to: "Apple menu > System Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri"

Follow the onscreen instructions if Apple Intelligence has not been set up yet.

4 Check Your Device Language

Your Mac may support Apple Intelligence while Visual Intelligence itself remains unavailable because of the language setting.

Apple currently states that Visual Intelligence requires a "supported English device language".

If the feature is missing, check your current language settings and compare them with Apple's latest Visual Intelligence availability information.

5 Allow Apple Intelligence Setup to Finish

Apple Intelligence may need time to download required on-device models after it is enabled.

Apple recommends keeping your device connected to Wi-Fi and power while the required models download. See Apple's Apple Intelligence support information for current setup and availability details.

Keep your Mac connected to Wi-Fi and power while setup completes. Then check Visual Intelligence again.

If you recently installed macOS 27 or turned on Apple Intelligence for the first time, it may not be ready immediately.

6 Try Opening Visual Intelligence from the Screenshot Toolbar

If the Visual Intelligence keyboard shortcut does not respond, try accessing the feature through the Screenshot toolbar instead.

Press Shift + Command + 5, find the Visual Intelligence control, and select the area you want to analyze.

This can also help determine whether the problem is related to the shortcut rather than Visual Intelligence itself.

7 Restart Your Mac

If your Mac meets the requirements but Visual Intelligence suddenly stops responding, restart the Mac.

A restart can clear temporary macOS or Apple Intelligence processes that may be preventing the feature from opening. After restarting, try Visual Intelligence again.

How to Recover Missing Photos, PDFs, or Files on Mac?

Visual Intelligence can analyze a file only when it is still accessible on your Mac. If the original file was accidentally deleted, lost after a macOS update, or removed from an external drive, you need to recover it before you can analyze it again.

First, check the Trash, iCloud Drive, Time Machine, or other backups. If the file is not there, 4DDiG Mac Data Recovery can help recover deleted or lost photos, PDFs, documents, and other files from your Mac or external storage. You can preview recoverable files before restoring them, making it easier to recover exactly what you need.

• Download and open 4DDiG. Select the Mac drive or external storage device where the file you want to use with Visual Intelligence was stored, then start scanning.

  

• Wait for 4DDiG to scan for lost files. Use the file type filters or search feature to quickly find the missing photo, PDF, document, or other file you want to analyze with Visual Intelligence.

  

• Preview the found files and select the one you need. Once you confirm it is the correct file, click "Recover".

  

• Choose a safe location to save the recovered file. Then open it on your Mac and use Visual Intelligence to select and analyze the content as usual.

  

FAQs About Visual Intelligence on Mac

Does macOS have Visual Intelligence?

Yes. Visual Intelligence comes to Mac with macOS 27 Golden Gate. It works with Apple Intelligence to understand onscreen content and provide relevant information or actions.

What is the shortcut for Visual Intelligence on Mac?

You can access Visual Intelligence from the Screenshot toolbar by pressing Shift + Command + 5 and selecting the Visual Intelligence option. macOS 27 also includes a dedicated Visual Intelligence keyboard shortcut, but shortcut behavior may change while macOS 27 is still in preview.

Can Visual Intelligence read PDFs on Mac?

Yes. Visual Intelligence can work with visible PDF content on your Mac. You can select the relevant part of a PDF and ask Siri AI questions about it or use other available Visual Intelligence actions.

For a long PDF, select the specific visible section you want to analyze rather than expecting Visual Intelligence to automatically analyze every page.

Why don't I see Visual Intelligence on my Mac?

Visual Intelligence may not appear if your Mac does not support Apple Intelligence, macOS 27 is not installed, Apple Intelligence is disabled, setup is incomplete, or your device language is not supported.

Check these requirements first. If your Mac meets them, update macOS and restart your Mac before trying Visual Intelligence again.

Conclusion

Visual Intelligence in macOS 27 makes it easy to understand and act on content displayed on your Mac. If the feature is unavailable, check your Mac compatibility, Apple Intelligence settings, macOS version, and device language.

If a photo, PDF, document, or other file you want to analyze has been deleted or lost, 4DDiG Mac File Recovery can help recover the missing file so you can access and analyze it again.