When Siri Fails, Here's How I Find My Images in Apple Photos
When Apple demos Siri, it often highlights finding images in the Photos library -- a great example, since we all have tons of pictures and asking for what we want feels like the simplest approach. The problem? It just doesn't work reliably.
For example, "Siri, show me pictures of Jeff Carlson" is a phrase that should work on my iPhone when I'm looking for a new profile picture or to see if I wore the same shirt at last year's family gathering. Instead, the Apple Intelligence assistant brings up a web search of other Jeff Carlsons, such as a star of the movie Slap Shot, the leader of a rock band and the late science fiction author. So much for smart AI photo management.
The conundrum is that the Apple Photos app already knows who I am -- I've tagged photos of myself, and a text search for my name brings up exactly what I'm looking for. In fact, Apple Photos already uses AI extensively to find images and surface memories -- it's just not yet integrated into the broader Apple Intelligence framework.
When you do want to locate photos that you know must be in your library somewhere, you don't need to haphazardly scroll through the thumbnails to find them. Here are some strategies for making smarter searches that'll save you time and trouble.
It's all about the photo metadata
When you search for a document on your computer, you typically type a word or phrase that you know appears in it; for example, I can quickly locate my tax information by searching for "2024 taxes" or "1099" in the MacOS Finder or Windows Explorer.
However, an image is composed of colored pixels.
The key to effective photo searches is having metadata -- information that lives inside the image file and describes what the image depicts. It used to be your job to tag each photo with keywords and descriptions to make it easier to find. In reality, few people actually go to the trouble of adding this information. Plus, in this mobile age, it's difficult to actually add it; the Photos app on the iPhone and iPad only includes a Caption field for writing descriptive text.
But in this case, Photos is actually on your side, because it's doing a lot of that descriptive work for you in the background. The app uses machine learning to analyze each image and build its own internal database of what it discovers. So even if you've never thought about tagging your images, Photos is building metadata for you.
This photo could include metadata such as harbor, bridge, ferry, skyline, water and city to describe its contents.
Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET
Strategy 1: Search for items, scenes or places in the photos
There's no way to tell what information Photos comes up with for any given image, so the rule of thumb is to assume it's there -- or is at least close enough to narrow your search. For example, tap the Search button and type "flowers" in the Search field.
As you type, the app displays an assortment of results: Photos you've favorited that contain flowers, images with any type of flower, images with the word "flowers" in it and so on. Tap one of the items in the pop-up menu that appears or tap the Search button to reveal everything it found.
Searching for "flowers" (left) brings up all images that Photos thinks include flowers.
Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET
Similarly, the Photos app can make guesses about scenes and concepts, such as "spring" or "skiing" and serve up images that match those ideas.
And if your images were captured by an iPhone or tagged with location data, the search will pick up names of cities, neighborhoods or some landmarks.
Apple says the following metadata are detected when scanned:
Date (month or year)
Place (city or state)
Business names (museums, for example)
Category (beach or sunset, for example)
Events (sports games or concerts, for example)
A person identified in People & Pets
Text (an email address or phone number, for example)
Caption
Strategy 2: Search for identified people
The Photos app also uses machine learning to identify when people are in a photo. If you've identified them in the People & Pets
category, you can type someone's name into the Search field to find all the photos in which they appear.
Individuals you've identified in the People & Pets category (left) can be found by name using the Search field (right).
Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET
In fact, when you add multiple people to the search query, Photos narrows the results to photos in which all of the people are present.
When you specify multiple names of people in the Search field, the results show only photos in which all of them appear.
Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET
Strategy 3: Search for text that appears in photos
At one time, you'd pay a lot of money for software that could recognize text in a document and turn it into editable text. Now, the Photos app automatically scans all your photos looking for text that appears on signs, menus and other real-world sources.
Any text you type in the Search field that matches what appears in photos will come up in the search.
A search for "coffee" includes results in which that word appears in photos.
Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET
Strategy 4: Combine elements for more targeted searches
You can see where this is all going. When you type multiple criteria into the Search field, you can narrow the number of results that appear and find your photos quicker. For example, searching for "Jeff L. Carlson in Italy in 2022" -- tapping each of those items in the pop-up menu that appears to denote that you're using the results it knows, highlighted in blue -- brings up images of me during a vacation that year.
Combining search terms narrows the number of results.
Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET
Strategy 5: Add keywords in Photos for Mac for more specificity
I know I said people don't tag their photos with keywords, but that doesn't mean it's not an effective method of organization. The Photos app on MacOS does include a Keywords field, though it's not obvious: Select a photo and choose Window > Info to view the floating Info panel, then type in the Keywords field. Separate terms with commas.
Keywords transfer, but it can take some time due to the Photos sync process. In one example, an edit where I converted a photo to black and white synced, but it took many minutes before the keyword I added ("Grabthar") came up in a search.
You can add keywords in the MacOS version of Photos and they will be recognized when searching in the iOS and iPadOS versions.
Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET
What does "Some Results May Not Appear" mean?
At the bottom of the search screen you may see an unobtrusive message: "Some Results May Not Appear." This is Apple's way of tamping expectations in case the photo you're looking for doesn't come up in a search. More specifically, it's there because of how Photos indexes your library.
I mentioned earlier that Photos scans your images to find recognizable elements, perform people recognition and collect other metadata. According to Apple, that scanning only happens when your device is locked, charging and connected to Wi-Fi. There's no way to force it to update its database, which can be frustrating when you've recently imported a bunch of new photos but the people in them aren't yet recognized.
With AI, there's always something to look forward to, I guess.
For more on working with Apple Photos in iOS 18, don't miss how to use the new Clean Up tool to remove unwanted elements from your pictures. And if you're flummoxed by the new interface, learn how to pare the app down by hiding many of the collections and categories fighting for space.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sen. Ted Cruz proposes withholding broadband funding from states that regulate AI
The Brief Senator Ted Cruz proposed that states attempting to regulate AI should lose federal broadband funding. This proposal is an addition to a House-passed bill aiming for a 10-year ban on state AI regulation. Critics argue Cruz's plan is "undemocratic and cruel," forcing states to choose between broadband access and AI consumer protection. WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) proposed on Thursday an alternative punishment for planned legislation that would set a 10-year ban on state regulation of Artificial Intelligence model learning. Under Cruz's budget reconciliation proposal, an attempt to regulate AI would be prohibited from collecting federal funding provided by the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. The Proposal The U.S. House of Representatives passed their version of House Resolution 1, the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," on May 22. In part, the budget bill would ban state regulation on AI for 10 years. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Cruz authored a budget reconciliation that he says is intended to "fulfill President Trump's agenda." In a summary of the proposal, he refers to state regulation as "strangling AI deployment," comparing it to EU precautions against tech development. Cruz's proposal adds $500 million to the BEAD program, which has already administered $42.45 billion to the states in order to expand high-speed internet access across the country. It also prevents states from receiving any of that funding if they attempt to regulate AI. Dig deeper Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) has recently spoken out against HR 1, saying the anti-regulatory section alone will cost Congress her vote. Greene explained that she discovered the controversial provision, located on pages 278-279 of the bill, only after the House had already passed the legislation. Once the bill returns to the House following Senate deliberations, Greene says she will change sides based on the matter of AI. What they're saying Advocacy group Public Citizen released a commentary on Cruz's proposal, referring to it as a "display of corporate appeasement." In the article, J.B. Branch, a Big Tech accountability advocate, included the following statement: "This is a senatorial temper tantrum masquerading as policy. Americans have loudly rejected Senator Cruz's dangerous proposal to give tech giants a decade of immunity from state regulation. State legislatures, attorneys general, and citizens across all 50 states have demanded that Congress step away from overhauling consumer protections put in place in the absence of federal leadership. But instead of listening to the American people, Senate Republicans threw a fit and tied vital digital funding to corporate impunity. "With this move, Republicans are telling millions of Americans: 'You can have broadband but only if your state gives up the right to protect you from AI abuses.' It's undemocratic and cruel. Republicans would rather give Big Tech a 10-year hall pass to experiment on the American people unchecked, rather than give underserved rural and urban communities the ability to compete in the digital economy. Congress must reject this corporate giveaway and refocus their energy on representing the public interest." In her statements criticizing the anti-regulation portion of HR 1, Greene expressed concerns about developing rapidly evolving tech without checks and balances. "No one can predict what AI will be in one year, let alone 10," Greene said. "But I can tell you this: I'm pro-humanity, not pro-transhumanity. And I will be voting NO on any bill that strips states of their right to protect American jobs and families." What's next HR 1 is expected to continue undergoing changes in the Senate before returning to the House for another vote. Cruz's proposal has yet to be officially added to the legislation. The Source Information in this article comes from public U.S. Congress filings, Public Citizen, and previous FOX 4 coverage.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Social media erupts after Michigan officials have family of beavers killed at golf course
When officials overseeing a municipal golf course in Michigan found a beaver dam causing a water backup, they decided the best option was to eliminate the animals. According to reports, a decision to terminate the beavers came this week. According to a story that appeared in the Ann Arbor News, the municipal Leslie Park Golf Course in Ann Arbor had a group of beavers damming up Traver Creek, which runs through the property. Since the state of Michigan considers beavers a "nuisance animal," it was difficult for the city to relocate them. Ann Arbor Parks Manager Josh Landefeld consulted with the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner's Office about the dam. 'The concern with this dam is the impact that it would have on the stormwater mitigation in that area up and down stream from the dam,' he told MLive about the decision to clear the stream and have the beavers killed on Friday. The reaction was hostile on social media, where many residents said a better alternative must have been available. Here's more from the story. One Nextdoor discussion has over 135 comments such as 'No! That is despicable!' and 'That's ridiculous! Why can't they leave them alone.' 'They should be ashamed of themselves!' another person wrote, while one said, 'This is exactly why when I noticed the beavers at the golf course last year, I didn't tell anybody!' Others argued the broad-tailed critters should have been relocated. 'If they will trap them, I volunteer to drive them to a secluded area and release them,' one person wrote, while another argued killing beavers doesn't align with the city's A2Zero climate plan and commitments to protect natural resources. Tanya Hilgendorf, president and CEO of the Humane Society of Huron Valley, said what happened is really sad. Her organization is always opposed to killing healthy wildlife and wants to see humane alternatives, she said. 'I understand this may be tricky when there are concerns about critical infrastructure, but there are always other options,' she said. 'When there is will, there is a way, right? If you take killing off the table, you find a way.' According to the story, flooding could have caused problems for residents upstream and downstream. While beavers are known for great feats of engineering, building dams and lodges out of logs, sticks and mud, they can cause problems for landowners when their gnawing habits ruin landscape trees and when their dams create flooding, according to the Michigan Department of Natural DNR's 'nuisance wildlife' webpage offers tips for dealing with beavers, suggesting continually destroying their dams and materials used to build dams, fencing off drains and putting guards around such as a 'beaver pond leveler' or 'beaver baffler' also can be installed to allow water to move through while preventing dam construction, according the DNR, which says if methods do not alleviate beaver issues, the final step is to contact a nuisance animal control company or local wildlife biologist. This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Officials kill beavers that built dam at Michigan golf course
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
AI could unleash ‘deep societal upheavals' that many elites are ignoring, Palantir CEO Alex Karp warns
Amid the debate about AI's impact on the workforce, Palantir CEO Alex Karp said the technology can have an overall additive effect, 'if we work very, very hard at it.' But he cautioned that if the industry doesn't make that happen, the result could be 'deep societal upheavals' that many elites are ignoring. There are already signs that AI is shrinking entry-level opportunities. One of the biggest beneficiaries of the AI revolution warned that the technology could also create massive fissures in society—unless the industry works hard to prevent them. Alex Karp, CEO of data-mining software company Palantir, was asked on CNBC on Thursday about AI's implications for employment. 'Those of us in tech cannot have a tin year to what is this going to mean for the average person,' he replied. That comes as AI increasingly gets incorporated into the daily tasks of workers, boosting their productivity and efficiency. At the same time, there are also signs that AI is shrinking opportunities for young workers in entry-level jobs that traditionally have been stepping stones for launching careers. Meanwhile, Palantir has been at the forefront of using AI at the enterprise level. The company is known for putting its AI-powered platforms to work in the defense and intelligence sectors, but it has also been expanding in the commercial space. Most recently, it partnered with TeleTracking, a provider of operations platforms for hospitals and health systems. On Thursday, Karp said the kind of AI that Palantir is doing can be 'net accretive to the workforce in America,' but only if 'we work very, very hard at it.' He pointed out that it just because it can happen, that doesn't mean it will happen. The industry has to make it so. 'We have to will it to be, because otherwise we're going to have deep societal upheavals that I think many in our elite are just really ignoring,' Karp said. The warning is especially notable coming from a leader in the AI field. But Karp has also urged the tech sector to take on bigger problems. In a recent Atlantic essay adapted from their book The Technological Republic, Karp and Nicholas Zamiska, Palantir's head of corporate affairs and legal counsel to the office of the CEO, blasted Silicon Valley for focusing on 'trivial yet solvable inconveniences' and abandoning a long history of working with the government to tackle more pressing national issues. Others in the AI field have also offered dire predictions about AI and the workforce lately. Last month, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says AI could wipe out roughly 50% of all entry-level white-collar jobs. In an interview with Axios, he said that displacement could cause unemployment to spike to between 10% and 20%. The latest jobs report on Friday put the rate at 4.2%. 'Most of them are unaware that this is about to happen,' Amodei said. 'It sounds crazy, and people just don't believe it… We, as the producers of this technology, have a duty and an obligation to be honest about what is coming.' And OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said this past week that AI agents are like interns, predicting that in the next year they can 'help us discover new knowledge, or can figure out solutions to business problems that are very non-trivial.' Meanwhile, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said at the Milken Institute's Global Conference last month that while workers may not lose their jobs to AI, they will lose them to 'someone who uses AI.' This story was originally featured on
