Apple’s new iPhone camera mode promises to prove your photo isn’t AI

AITopTools Editorial TeamSeptember 9, 2026

What changed

Apple is introducing a camera mode called Reference Image with the iPhone 18 Pro lineup later this month. It is designed to use the phone’s new camera sensor to sign each pixel as the image is captured, helping show that a photo was not altered by AI.

What this means for you

iPhone 18 Pro owners will have a built-in way to provide evidence about a photo’s origin. The feature is limited to the iPhone 18 Pro lineup and does not establish that every image outside this system is genuine.

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