Microsoft has added an OCR function (Optical Character Recognition) to the Windows Photos app, which basically means it can now recognize text in an image and instantly extract it for you. To use this feature, open any image that contains words or lines of text using the Photos app. Then, click on the "Scan text" button--which looks like a rounded square with three lines of text inside--located at the bottom of the app window. Once clicked, the Photos app will scan the image and highlight all of the text it finds. You can then interact with it like it's actually text, meaning you can highlight passages with your cursor and right-click to perform actions like copying text, selecting all text, or using Bing Search to look up whatever text you currently have highlighted.

If you're into trying out new AI tools, you'll dig this– the latest Windows 11 24H2 update brings some cool upgrades to the Photos app. Microsoft added AI-powered editing that makes touching up your pics super easy. One standout feature is the "Restyle Image" option. It lets you apply different artistic styles to your photos. This feature really opens up a whole world of possibilities.

Apple has made it easier than ever to merge duplicate photos. Are you tired of scrolling through your Mac's photo library only to find multiple copies of the same photo? Duplicate photos can clutter your storage and make it harder to find the memories you want to cherish. Fortunately, if you're using macOS Ventura or later, Apple has made it easier than ever to find and merge these duplicates right within the Photos app. We'll walk you through how to use the built-in Duplicates finder, as well as some alternative methods for those who need more advanced features.

Microsoft is adding ways to make the Windows Photos app much more powerful, combining elements of the elegant Designer app and making Photos more of a centerpiece for visual editing. Microsoft is taking optical-character recognition capabilities that it developed several years ago and adding them to Photos, while pulling in design elements from Microsoft Designer, too. Finally, the company is beefing up File Explorer a bit as well, giving it a more robust visual search capability. Unfortunately, it's also adding a Copilot button as well, which for now doesn't really do much. Microsoft's Windows Photos app languished for years, but it started enjoying a renaissance about two years ago with new AI-powered editing features.

Microsoft's Copilot test within Microsoft Photos probably won't be part of its redemption arc. While the company is testing a Copilot button within Photos, it arguably doesn't do really…anything? Anything that you can't find anywhere else, let's say. Microsoft said Monday that it's rolling out a beta of the Photos app with a Copilot button that will appear at the top of the screen. Here's what it does, according to Microsoft: If you'd like tips on how to take better photos, there are numerous tutorials around the web, both in video and in text form.

With the latest versions of its software--specifically iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3--Apple has now turned on Apple Intelligence by default. That means all of the associated AI tools will be ready and waiting to help you as soon as you've installed the updates and restarted your device. However, Apple isn't (yet) forcing you to use all of these features, and you can still turn off Apple Intelligence, if you'd like to. Note that if you've previously turned Apple Intelligence off on your device, the iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3 updates won't suddenly turn it back on--your previous choice will be respected. If you're new to Apple Intelligence and want to know what you're dealing with, it's a suite of AI features covering just about every app on your phone.

Create custom emoji on the fly. Have you ever found yourself scrolling through the emoji keyboard, frustrated that you can't find the perfect little icon to express your exact sentiment? Well, Apple has a solution for you with its latest iOS 18.2 update: Genmoji. This innovative feature allows you to create custom emoji on the fly, bringing a whole new level of personalization to your conversations. Genmoji, a clever blend of "generative AI" and "emoji," is Apple's latest addition to its Apple Intelligence suite.

Apple is set to launch its new iOS 18.1 that will include the long-awaited AI feature and several security fixes for iPhones running on the previous version. CEO Tim Cook has touted Apple Intelligence as'a new chapter of innovation,' focusing on'generative' AI models that enable users to create text or images from prompts. The system will have the ability to create'Genmojis,' new emoji characters based on text prompts in iMessage, edit photos and include a revamped Siri with better conversational skills. The new iOS 18 system is set to hit smartphones at 1pm ET, but only the iPhone 16 family and high-end 15 devices support Apple Intelligence. There is also a waitlist for the AI feature and users can claim their spot after downloading the update.

Now that we're a few years into Microsoft's obsession with AI and its Copilot assistant, it's clearer than ever that Windows 11's role is to show off the company's artificial intelligence prowess. At least, that's the message I took away from today's announcement that the Windows 11 2024 (version 24H2) update is now beginning to roll out. While the OS itself is getting a few new features, like long overdue File Explorer tweaks, Microsoft is far more eager to hype up new Copilot AI PC capabilities. There's "Click to Do," which triggers Copilot to assist you with whatever is on your screen, like removing an object in the Photos app, or summarizing a long article. It's seemingly easy to use -- just hold the Windows button down and click your target -- and Microsoft says it'll offer contextually relevant tips.

Microsoft just announced that the latest update for the Photos app in Windows will introduce a new image search feature. As of right now, the update is rolling out to Windows 11 users in the Insider program across all Insider channels. After that's done, it will roll out to Windows 10 users in the Beta and Release Preview channels. And then, of course, it'll be publicly available at some point in the future. Here's how the new image search feature will work: When you open an image in Photos, you'll see a button for the Visual Search with Bing feature at the bottom of the app window.