Apple Vision Pro 'Visual Search' Feature Can Identify Items, Copy Printed Text, Translate and More

The Apple Vision Pro headset's visionOS operating system includes a feature called "Visual Search," which sounds like it is similar to the Visual Look Up feature on the iPhone and the iPad.

vision pro headset 1
With Visual Search, users can use the Vision Pro headset to get information about an item, detect and interact with text in the world around them, copy and paste printed text from the real world into apps, translate text between 17 different languages, and more.

Real world text that includes contact information, webpages, and unit conversions and similar information can be acted upon in visionOS. So, for example, if a printed handout has a website link in it, you can scan the link with the Vision Pro, opening up a Safari window to view the website. Or, if a recipe calls for grams and you need ounces, you can convert using the headset.

Real-time text translation will also be useful for traveling and other instances when you might want to quickly translate what you're seeing in the real world. The ‌Apple Vision Pro‌ headset will be able to automatically detect text and documents, similar to how the ‌iPhone‌ can detect text in photos and allow it to be interacted with.

The Visual Search function was found in visionOS by Steve Moser. visionOS can be accessed through the latest Xcode beta at the moment, as Apple released the first version of the software earlier today.

Related Roundups: Apple Vision Pro, visionOS 2
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Popular Stories

iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

iOS 19 to Have Some of the 'Biggest' Design Changes in iPhone's History

Sunday March 16, 2025 10:35 am PDT by
Apple is planning some of the "biggest iOS and macOS redesigns in its history," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman reiterated that iOS 19 will have a visionOS-like design with more transparent interfaces:The new interfaces will adopt the design principles introduced in visionOS, the software for Apple's Vision Pro headset. That includes greater...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Max Rumors Allegedly Refer to 'iPhone 17 Ultra' Model

Friday March 14, 2025 7:56 am PDT by
If you've been following iPhone rumors over the last few years, you may remember reading reports that Apple flirted with the idea of introducing a super high-end "Ultra" model that would either replace its Pro Max device or sit above it in Apple's smartphone hirearchy. These reports appeared in the pre-launch iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 rumor cycles, but ultimately came to nothing. Now though, the...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

Ultra-Thin 'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Include These 12 Features

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:50 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
Bent iPhone Air Feature

Apple Canned Larger iPhone 17 Air Model Over Fears of Bendgate 2.0

Monday March 17, 2025 4:07 am PDT by
Apple prototyped a larger ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air with a 6.9-inch display, but ultimately decided not to go ahead with the device because of fears that it could be susceptible to bending, according to a new report. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, writing in his latest Power On newsletter: When it first started work on the phone, it prototyped a device with a 6.9-inch screen — matching...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Apple's First Foldable iPhone Estimated to Cost Nearly Twice as Much as iPhone 16 Pro Max

Monday March 17, 2025 6:42 am PDT by
In an investor research note today with British bank Barclays, analyst Tim Long said Apple's first foldable iPhone could have a starting price in the $2,300 range in the United States, which would make it by far the most expensive iPhone model ever. If the first foldable iPhone starts at $2,299, that means it would cost nearly twice as much as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which starts at $1,199. ...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Start at $899 With Surprisingly Good Battery Life, Camera Control, and More

Sunday March 16, 2025 9:05 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today shared some new details about the rumored iPhone 17 Air. In his Power On newsletter, Gurman said he was told that the device may start at roughly $899 in the U.S., which means that it would occupy the same price point as the iPhone 16 Plus. This would make sense, as it has been widely rumored that the Air model will take over the Plus model's spot in the iPhone...
apple surveyor app

Apple Launches 'Surveyor' App for Apple Maps Data Collection

Friday March 14, 2025 10:38 am PDT by
Apple today launched a new app called Surveyor, which is designed to allow users to collect data like images of street signs and roadside details to improve Apple Maps. The app is not public facing and appears to be for use with companies that Apple partners with to assign mapping tasks. Downloading the app and opening it up directs users to "Open Partner App" to choose a task. Tapping on...
iphone 16e usb c feature

'iPhone 17 Air' is Step Towards Slimmer iPhones Without USB-C Ports

Sunday March 16, 2025 9:36 am PDT by
Apple considered launching the iPhone 17 Air without a USB-C charging port, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said that while Apple ultimately decided against making the iPhone 17 Air its first iPhone model without a charging port, the idea is still on the table for future iPhone models. He said the iPhone 17 Air will "foreshadow a move to...

Top Rated Comments

vegetassj4 Avatar
23 months ago

Excellent features but I have noticed things can get quite cluttered if you don’t stay on top of it.


Wait until they put in app ads on the thing....



Attachment Image
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
appleguy123 Avatar
23 months ago
Cool af
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tripsync Avatar
23 months ago
it can even identify the missing digits in your bank account.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tonywalker23 Avatar
23 months ago
I read a few pages today in the new Make Something Wonderful book by Jobs, and I got to the section about the 2001 first Apple Store. He is talking about the apple products but then mentions that they also had third party cameras, camcorders, digital organizers, and mp3 players… and naturally my mind thought about how my iPhone does all that (and tons more) in a relatively short time after the Apple Store first opened...

And I wonder, 5-10 years from now?, what will this thing look like, how slim will it get, will it replace the glasses I wear now and be just a few ounces and look like normal glasses? Seems crazy to even think that...

But considering that my first gen iPod I listen to led to my thin and powerful iPhone, and the iMac g4 on my home desk is archaic compared to my 11" super thin iPad Pro → I look fwd to what the future holds for this tech and the innovation that comes along with it.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TimHalfCooked Avatar
23 months ago
Wonder if it will notice when I'm not wearing trousers and open the appropriate website?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
23 months ago
Excellent features but I have noticed things can get quite cluttered if you don’t stay on top of it.



Attachment Image
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)