Apple Developing Photo Authentication Feature in iOS 27

Apple is reportedly developing a feature called Reference Image that will allow users to verify whether a photo was genuinely taken using an iPhone camera. The feature, discovered in the latest iOS 27 beta, works by checking sensor information and metadata to authenticate the origin of an image. To use the verification, the photo must be processed through Apple’s Private Cloud Compute. Reference Image is designed to help users distinguish authentic photographs taken directly with a device from content generated or manipulated by artificial intelligence. As the feature is still in beta testing, Apple has not confirmed whether it will be included when iOS 27 is released to the public this autumn.