I love this Apple Intelligence feature on iPhone 17 Pro – and you can use it on older models, too

Observe ZDNET: Add us as a most well-liked supply on Google.

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Apple’s Add to Calendar enables you to create occasions with one faucet from screenshots.
• It does not hallucinate and is extra correct than comparable Android options.
• You should use the characteristic on each iPhone appropriate with iOS 26.

I battle to search out genuinely useful synthetic intelligence options in day by day life. Certain, eradicating undesirable objects from my images is sweet to have, however most different AI capabilities on current telephones have been one-time occasion methods at finest. 

Not like a kind of options, I discovered a helpful use case with Galaxy AI on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely final 12 months. The same functionality is now making its approach to your iPhone with iOS 26. The characteristic I am speaking about is the one-tap Add to Calendar characteristic. 

Additionally: I’ve examined each iPhone 17 mannequin, and I am recommending one thing totally different this time

In my 24 hours with the iPhone 17 Professional Max, I’ve discovered the characteristic to be extra helpful and polished than anticipated. I might been testing this characteristic on my iPhone 15 Professional within the developer beta, and it has gotten extra intuitive within the secure iOS 26 construct. 

As a freelancer who must coordinate with a number of folks throughout apps and time zones for deadlines and conferences, including issues to my calendar helps me block my time and be extra organized. You often want so as to add issues manually to your Calendar app, which could be time-consuming. In spite of everything, it provides up in case you’re doing this job a number of occasions per day. I battle with this handbook strategy, and that’s the reason it feels refreshing to have this skill only a faucet away.

Apple’s Add to Calendar characteristic is a part of Visible Intelligence. All it’s good to do is take a screenshot of an occasion invite, and AI will counsel the “Add to Calendar” immediate. Faucet on it, and it creates an occasion, which you’ll edit or add to your Calendar. As an illustration, I obtained a Diwali occasion invite with date, time, and place particulars. I took a screenshot, tapped the Add to Calendar possibility, and the characteristic added the precise particulars of the occasion to my Calendar app. No edits wanted.

Whereas it blocked an hour of my time when the invite acknowledged “7 pm onwards,” I do not thoughts this minor error for informal outings like this. I could not embody screenshots on this article of extra delicate materials, similar to embargo and assembly particulars, however the characteristic additionally will get these time slots appropriate. Once more, with no edits wanted. 

Additionally: This helpful Apple Intelligence characteristic saves me over $200 a 12 months

The characteristic is extra spectacular than anticipated, as comparable capabilities on one of the best Android telephones are inclined to get just a few particulars flawed.

Tips on how to use the Add to Calendar characteristic in Visible Intelligence in your iPhone

So as to add an occasion utilizing Visible Intelligence in your Apple gadget, it’s good to have an iPhone that runs iOS 26. As soon as your gadget is up to date, here is how you should utilize the characteristic:

1. Open the invite or occasion it’s good to add to your Calendar app.
2. Take a screenshot of your display screen, with all particulars, similar to time, date, and place, seen.
3. Apple Intelligence will now counsel an Add to Calendar possibility. Faucet on it.
4. You need to get a pop-up with occasion particulars within the Calendar with two choices: Edit or Create Occasion. 
5. Faucet on Create Occasion, and it is going to be added to your Calendar app. 

One of the best a part of the characteristic is that these screenshots do not litter your Pictures as your iPhone will not save them in case you faucet on the shut (x button) within the top-left nook. In case you need to save the screenshot, you may faucet on the tick (top-right nook) and discover it later in your Pictures app. 

Additionally: The stunning methods AI helps robust dev groups and hurts weak ones, in response to Google

I discover Galaxy AI’s sidebar implementation for AI Choose extra intuitive as a result of I haven’t got to press the cellphone’s buttons. Nevertheless, in contrast to its opponents, Apple’s Add to Calendar characteristic does not hallucinate and constantly will get the day, time, and place appropriate. This reliability is what makes the iPhone characteristic stand out from its rivals and makes me use it steadily.

The Cupertino firm’s tackle Add to Calendar is the primary AI productiveness characteristic on any cellphone that I can belief when it comes to reliability. It is one which I needn’t double-check. I nonetheless do, after all, as a result of the characteristic makes use of AI (and I’ve missed two conferences up to now whereas testing comparable instruments), however I hope this success makes me belief AI extra over time.