Apple's upcoming iOS 18 software could include exciting AI-based privacy features as part of an overhaul of its Safari browser. A new iPhone feature called “Web Eraser” lets you browse the web while removing parts of pages, such as ads and other content you don't want to see.
According to Apple Insider, the Apple-focused website that first reported the news, Web Eraser was introduced as part of a broader overhaul of the AI-based browser in iOS 18.
The overhaul, currently being tested by the iPhone maker, includes advanced content blocking features enabled by Web Eraser, as well as UI tweaks and AI-powered intelligent search. The changes to Safari will be included in iOS 18 and macOS 15, the report said, citing “people familiar with the matter.”
Web Eraser features in iOS 18
From the looks of it, Web Eraser in iOS 18 is a pretty cool feature, building on the privacy tools already built into the iPhone maker's Safari browser. Specifically, it is “designed to allow users to remove or erase specific parts of web pages, such as banner ads, images, text, or entire page sections.”
Apparently, Safari remembers your preferences, so you're not limited to a specific browsing session. “When you visit a web page that contains content that was previously cleared, Safari notifies you that the page has been modified to reflect your desired changes. This browser allows you to undo changes. “Users also have the option to return the webpage to its initial, unaltered state,” writes Apple Insider.
The new controls include Safari[設定]Easy access from the menu.
Exciting new features coming soon to iOS 18
Web Eraser comes with several new AI-based iOS 18 features for iPhone, most of which are handled on-device, at least initially.
Intelligent Search appears to use Apple's large-scale language model Ajax to identify topics and key phrases within web pages.
Web Eraser in iOS 18 is essentially an ad blocking feature offered by many companies, but built into the Safari browser. This is a great measure to protect your privacy, and it's ready-made and easy to use. However, it can create problems for publishers who rely on his web advertising for business revenue.
Of course, Apple has prioritized privacy as one of its key marketing messages, and iOS 18 seems to embrace that ethos wholeheartedly. Apple's new iPhone operating system is scheduled to be announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in just over a month, and privacy-conscious users have a lot to look forward to.