Apple may add authenticity verification for photos from iPhone
Apple is likely developing an Apple Reference Image feature for iOS that could help iPhone owners confirm the origin of photographs and that the images were not forged using artificial intelligence. As The Verge writes, code in the fifth beta version of iOS 27 contains references to a system capable of adding origin metadata to photos directly at the moment they are taken.
The feature is not yet available. According to 9to5Mac, a privacy notice in the beta states that it will be disabled by default. If Apple launches the system, it can reportedly be enabled in the camera settings. Only photographs taken in the new Reference mode in the Camera app will contain origin verification data.
MacRumors reports that verification will not take place automatically: the user will need to tap the Reference label on an image. The unprocessed image and embedded data about its origin, including sensor signatures, capture time data, and unique hardware identifiers, will then be sent to Private Cloud Compute servers for verification. Afterward, the photo may receive a unique identifier.
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The Verge notes that Apple will not gain access to the unprocessed photo itself, although the company may receive sensor data. This could potentially make it possible not to verify images associated with compromised sensors or to revoke previously granted verification. According to MacRumors, such photographs will be viewable on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
The described system resembles the C2PA Content Credentials standard, which makes it possible to track where and how an image was created, as well as whether generative AI was used to create or edit it. This standard is gradually being introduced by Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and Leica; it is also supported by Google Pixel 10 cameras. Apple has not implemented C2PA so far.
