iOS 18.2 includes the first image generation technologies in Apple Intelligence, including Image Playground. Image Playground is an Apple-specific image creation application that can build cartoon-like images based on text descriptions.
This guide highlights everything you need to know about Image Playground, from its limitations to where you can use it, and we'll provide updates as Image Playground evolves.
Image Playground App
Updating to iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, or macOS Sequoia 15.2 adds the Playground app to your home screen or desktop, represented by a 3D-style white cat/dog/bear creature icon.
Clicking on the app brings up a splash screen with instructions on how to use the Image Playground, but it's simple. There is a text bar at the bottom that instructs you to "Describe image."
As soon as you enter a word or phrase, Image Playground will start generating images for you. You can basically type in anything, like "a crocodile wearing a tutu" or "a skunk doing a hula hoop on an elephant."
You can use the following command to modify the results to a different text description, or use one of Apple's suggestions. Each description will have several possible images that you can swipe through to choose the one you want. You can add and remove words and phrases until the resulting image is as precise as you want it.
Image Playground is currently inIt's in beta, so Apple is asking for feedback. You can submit feedback using the thumbs up and thumbs down icons. A thumbs up requires no additional input, but a thumbs down brings you to an interface where you can select the image's question and provide additional written details.
After you have created your ideal image, you can click the "Done" button to save it to your Image Playground library. Items saved in the Image Playground library can be edited again later, deleted, or shared with the standard share sheet. There are also built-in tools for copying, sharing, or saving images during the creation process.
Personalized images based on people
You can start Image Playground creation with one person. People saved in the People album in the Photos app will appear as an option (including yourself) and you can choose a specific photo of the person to use as the basis for a new image.
Every photo of a person will look different because Image Playground introduces specific angles, lighting, and looks of a specific image rather than an aggregated image, so you can swipe to see which image of a person is transformed into animated form The last one looks most like them.
You're limited to individuals saved to your People album, so the AI won't understand if you're asking for an image of Tim Cook or Taylor Swift, but for this use case you can import photos.
You can also use the built-in Appearance options to create a generic appearance to use as the basis for the people interface. This setting allows you to choose a skin tone and feature set, which can be further refined with image descriptions.
Image playground suggestions
If you don't know where to start with image creation or if you need inspiration for details, Apple offers a list of suggestions you can click to add to your image.
Themes include adventure, disco, summer, party, sunset and fantasy, as well as places like city, space, desert, park, grassland and forest. Outfits recommended by Apple include artist, chef, wayfarer, wizard, robot, and superhero, with accessories such as sunglasses, beanies, top hats, party hats, and flower crowns available.
These are just of course, this is a starting point, you can choose any location or setting and add any objects and accessories you want using text descriptions.
The Suggestions Playground app in Images is context-free, but when you use the Image Playground in Messages, you may see suggestions based on what you're talking about.
Animation style
You cannot create realistic effects with images using the Image Playground; this is by design. Apple doesn't want to generate images that could trick someone, so you're limited to two styles: animation and illustration.
Animation is a 3D look that looks like something out of a Pixar movie, while illustration is a flatter, simpler 2D image.
When Image Playground was first announced in June 2024, Apple said there would beThree styles including animation, illustration and sketch. It's unclear if the sketch is still planned and will be released at a later date.
Create an image based on a photo
You can take photos or import photos from the Photos app to use as inspiration for your Image Playground creations. If you want an image of Tim Cook's Image Playground, then using a photo is the way to go.
Any photo can serve as creative inspiration, and you can use a photo as the main subject or background of your image.
Image Playground in messages
You can create images in the Image Playground app and share them in Messages, but you can also do this directly from the Messages app. In the conversation, click the " " button and select Image Playground from the list.
The messaging mini app works similarly to the full app. Simply enter a description of the image and use the same steps to move it to where you want it. Once you're done, tap "Done" and it will appear in the send field of the conversation so you can send it to the person you're talking to.
Share Image Playground creations
To share an Image Playground image in a text message, you can use the Image Playground applet built into Messages, which is the fastest way.
You can also go toImage Playground library or create a new image in the app, then use the share sheet to AirDrop, send it in a message, email it, or save it to the Photos or Files app. Anything you save to Photos can be uploaded to social media apps.
The Share Sheet works like a Share Sheet anywhere else in iOS, so if you have an app like Instagram installed, there's a Share Sheet option to upload Image Playground creations directly to Instagram. The same is true for other social networks that support share sheets.
Image Playground Limitations
Image Playground is currently in beta, and Apple says users may see unexpected results depending on how the descriptor is used. Sometimes words that seem like they should produce simple results end up producing strange and unexpected results, like the banana split image below.
AI has some limitations to be aware of, and there are also built-in guardrails to limit what you can create.
Size and scope
One obvious limitation involves Image Playground creations using photos of people. You can only get portrait-style photos that show the top half of the person, with no option for full-body poses. So if you want to generate an image of your friend Eric rollerblading, it's difficult to accurately describe that activity because the Image Playground will only generate images with the chest up.
This limitation does not apply when generating images of animals and creatures, but it is a problem when you want to depict activities that require more than just head and shoulders.
This also affects images you may want to generate using helper objects, such as cats or other people. Currently, Image Playground doesn't always handle multiple subjects in a photo well. The more descriptors there are, the harder it is to handle this kind of thing.
Text
Like most of the available image generation tools, Image Playground has difficulty handling text. Text often makes no sense.
Restricted phrases
Apple took some lessons from other tech companies when it introduced the image generation tool, and it had a lot of built-in limitations. When Google launched Pixel Studio in August, people could use it to generate images containing drugs, alcohol, Nazis, and more, something Apple wouldn't allow.
When a word is not allowed, you will see the following message: "This description cannot be used" with an undo button to delete it.
There are other phrases that Image Playground ignores. For example, if you use "blood" or "gore" you will get a red background, but no actual blood. You can't use the words "murder" or "death" or their synonyms, and while guns and pistols are OK, AK-47s, machine guns, and shotguns are not.
Concepts that could be used to generate political imagery are also prohibited. You can't add the flag of a specific country, or the flag of a country such as the United States, Mexico, or Germany. Words related to drugs or drug paraphernalia don't work, and there are many descriptors that Image Playground ignores, even if you don't get an explicitly prohibited message.
It's clear that Apple has put a lot of work into preventing the Image Playground from generating inappropriate images, and the company has made it clear that improvements will be made, and it's still possible to experience unexpected results during testing.
People requirements
When Apple Intelligence has trouble applying words, it will often ask you to select a person to add to your image, even if you don't want to add a person.This can be frustrating, you need to add the person, change the wording, and remove the person to express what you really mean.
Copyright
Similarly, Apple doesn't let you create images of copyrighted characters, so you can't use Image Playground to create compromising photos of Bluey and Mickey Mouse.
Security
Image Playground's image generation is done on-device, so nothing you enter is sent to a cloud server or shared, but it's worth noting that Apple is gathering immediate feedback.
Availability
Image Playground is only available in iOS 18.2 Beta, which is currently limited to developers. There's no word yet on when a public beta will be released.
Waiting list
You'll need to opt into a second waitlist to use Apple's Image Playground and Genmoji in iOS 18.2, which apparently limits the number of people who can use these features. Wait times are longer than the initial wait time to opt in to Apple Intelligence, in some cases 24 hours.
Public launch
If Apple sticks to its previous release schedule, we can expect a mid-December release of iOS 18.2.
That’s it for iOS 18.2: Everything you should know about Image Playground in detail. For more information, please pay attention to other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!
Source: macrumors.com