Apple is making it easier to identify AI-generated images on the iPhone, thanks to Google's SynthID watermarking. With the release of iOS 27.2, images created using Apple's Image Playground and many images edited with Apple Intelligence now carry an invisible digital watermark.
The change follows Apple's announcement back in June this year that it would add SynthID support to its image-generation tools.
For those unaware, SynthID is Google's digital watermarking technology designed to identify content generated or modified using AI. Unlike traditional watermarks that appear as visible text or logos, SynthID embeds an imperceptible signal directly into an image's pixels. This means that the watermark does not affect how the image looks or its visual quality.
First spotted by MacRumors and independently verified on our end, all images generated using Apple's Image Playground now carry the SynthID watermark. The watermark is also present in images edited using certain Apple Intelligence features, although its implementation varies depending on the editing tools and the extent of the changes.
For instance, we also found that images edited using the Extend and Reframe tools carry the watermark. Apple's Clean Up tool, which removes unwanted objects from photos on Apple iPhones, appears to behave differently. Smaller edits may not introduce a watermark, while more substantial changes can result in one being embedded.
How to Check for SynthID in iPhone Images
Despite adding support for SynthID, Apple has not introduced a built-in option in the iPhone's Photos app to directly detect these watermarks. Instead, users can check an image using Google's SynthID Detector website.
It is worth noting that SynthID is not a universal test for AI-generated images. The absence of a detectable watermark does not necessarily mean that an image was captured with a camera or has never been edited using AI.
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iOS 27.2 Brings More than Just AI Watermarking
SynthID support is one of several additions in iOS 27.2. The update also improves Siri AI, expands its language support and introduces new features across Apple's apps. It additionally brings Apple Pencil support for the iPhone Duo, alongside an Edge Light feature for video calls.
With SynthID now integrated into Apple's image-generation workflow, the Cupertino giant is taking a step towards greater transparency around AI-generated content. While the watermark does not prevent people from generating or sharing AI images, it gives users another way to investigate where certain images came from.
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