Users are expressing their discontent with Apple’s choice to automatically activate its Enhanced Visual Search feature.
Enhanced Visual Search is a tool intended to assist users in recognizing landmarks and points of interest within their photographs. Similar to Apple’s **Visual Look Up**, this feature aims to simplify locating specific images based on location or landmarks. It is automatically enabled on iPhones operating with iOS 18 and Macs utilizing macOS Sequoia.
Although the tool incorporates robust privacy protections, such as **homomorphic encryption**, the primary concern among users who prioritize privacy is not the feature itself but rather that it is switched on by default. This has reignited discussions regarding the necessity of obtaining explicit **opt-in consent** for new features.
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A Reddit user articulated their annoyance in a post that received over 1,600 upvotes, stating:
*”Opt-in by default to ensure every oblivious user will never take the steps to deactivate it. Typical questionable corporate tactic. This reminds me to review all my privacy settings across every service.”*
Apple, on the other hand, highlights the privacy protections integrated into Enhanced Visual Search. According to the company’s [Photos & Privacy](https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/photos/) page, the feature utilizes **homomorphic encryption**, **differential privacy**, and an **OHTTP relay** to conceal users’ IP addresses, preventing Apple from accessing the contents of users’ photos.
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Another Reddit user recognized Apple’s privacy initiatives, remarking:
*”Apple has made a reasonable effort to safeguard privacy with this tool. I disagree with it being enabled by default, but this is a better and more private alternative to the iCloud photo search feature most users already employ.”*
For those who want to turn off Enhanced Visual Search, the steps are simple. On an iPhone, navigate to **Settings**, select **Apps**, scroll down to **Photos**, and toggle the feature off at the bottom of the screen. On a Mac, launch the **Photos** app, go to **Settings**, and select **General** to find the toggle for Enhanced Visual Search.