Image Playground, Apple’s new AI image generator that lets you create stunning, unique visuals from simple text descriptions, is finally here. The feature was first announced at WWDC 2024 and has now arrived on iPhone with the iOS 18.2 update. Here’s how you can use Image Playground to create images using AI on your iPhone running iOS 18.
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What is Image Playground on iOS 18?
Image Playground is an iOS 18 feature that allows you to create images from text descriptions (just type in what you want and watch it come to life). You can also use existing images on your phone as a starting point or combine text and images for even more creative possibilities (we’ll get into that shortly).
I’m happy to report that unlike basic image generators, Image Playground offers a wide range of options to play with. You can customize your images with various art styles, add new elements, tweak colors, and merge text with visuals to craft something truly unique.
This feature is part of the Apple Intelligence suite that includes Writing Tools, Genmoji, Siri with ChatGPT, Visual Intelligence, and Image Wand. These features became available with the iOS 18.2 update.
Image Playground is available on the following iPhone models: iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 16 series. It’s a standalone app, but it’s also integrated into other apps like Messages and Freeform.
How to Use Image Playground On Your iPhone
Step 1: Open Image Playground App
After updating your iPhone to iOS 18.2, open the Image Playground app from your home screen or App Library. If you can’t find it, search in your App Library or use Spotlight Search. The initial download may take a few moments, so feel free to bookmark this page and come back later.
Step 2: Choose Your Image Style
Tap the + button on the bottom right and choose your preferred image style: Animation or Illustration. Animation creates images with a 3D, animated look, similar to characters or scenes you might see in Pixar films. Illustration produces flatter, 2D images with a hand-drawn appearance, reminiscent of children’s books or graphic novels.
Step 3: Give Your Prompt
Finally, in the ‘Describe an image‘ box, type exactly what image you want, providing a detailed description. The more specific you are—for example, a prompt like ‘a monkey eating a banana on a beach at sunset’—the closer the results will be to your vision.
Step 4: Choose a Theme (Optional)
Playground also lets you refine your images with themes, costumes, accessories, and places. For example, I combined the prompt ‘two airplanes celebrating their birthday’ with the ‘birthday’ theme, sunglasses, and a mountain setting.
Step 5: Save the Image
After entering your prompt, your iPhone will generate a couple of images. Swipe left to view the generated images. You can change the style or refine your prompt to generate different results.
To save your creation to the Image Playground app’s gallery, tap Done in the top right. However, to save the image to your Photos app (your phone’s gallery), you must tap three dots (or the Share button) and then tap Save Image.
Create New AI Images Using Existing Photos
Apple lets you add a touch of AI by using images you already have on your phone as inspiration. Just tap the + button next to the text description box, tap Choose Photo, and select an image. Once you choose one, Apple will use that as a reference to generate an AI photo of its own.
You can further enhance this picture by adding a description, custom theme, accessories, and, of course, selecting your own style.
Generate an AI Avatar Using Playground
Tap the Avatar button next to the description box. Choose a person from your phone or tap ‘Appearance‘ to manually choose skin color and design an avatar.
When you simply choose a person, Playground will generate their AI avatar. Now you can add a description to add flair to the avatar, such as ‘Person celebrating a birthday,’ ‘Person on a bike,’ and so on.
Using Image Playground in Messages App
Image Playground is integrated with Apple Messages, so you can directly have your iPhone generate a desired photo and send it without leaving the chat. Here’s how it works:
- Open the Messages app on your iPhone and navigate to a chat.
- Tap the + button to the left of the text box.
- Select Image Playground.
- Describe your image or use suggestions from the list, as usual.
- Tap Done and then tap the Send button to send the AI-generated image to the chat.
Using Image Playground in Notes App
Apple has added a new Image Wand tool to its Notes app. Using it, you can invoke Image Playground directly within the Notes app. Here’s the idea: you draw a rough sketch using the Pencil tool in the Notes app and then run the Image Wand around it. Image Playground will then use your rough sketch (and any description you add) to create an AI-generated illustration or sketch for your note.
The steps are as follows:
- Open the Notes app on your iPhone.
- Choose the Pencil tool and draw anything you would like to later convert to an image using AI.
- Then, tap the Image Wand tool, as shown in the screenshot.
- Draw a circle with the Image Wand around your sketch. Describe what sort of image you want, if required.
- It will now generate multiple sketches based on your idea. Save the one you like by tapping Done.
Image Playground is Seriously Fun!
Its seamless integration with Apple apps, extensive customization options, and completely on-device processing are truly impressive. While many Apple Intelligence features felt underwhelming, given their prior availability on Android and through third-party apps, Image Playground is a standout feature that I enjoy using, and you might too. Give it a try and let me know if it meets your expectations.
