Apple today announced Apple Reference Image, a new opt-in feature for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max that helps users to prove a photo hasn't been altered since it was taken.
Apple Reference Image is powered by a new sensor in the Main camera that signs sensor data at the pixel level at the moment of capture. When a photo is taken in the new Reference mode, that signed data is sent to Private Cloud Compute, which develops it into what Apple calls an unalterable reference image, "like having a digital negative."
Reference images appear in the Photos app alongside the corresponding photo, letting users visually compare the two to check whether any edits were made. Apple is also opening APIs in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS 27 so third-party apps can display these reference images.
Apple positioned the feature as one part of a broader push on image authenticity, alongside existing image metadata and upcoming support for the SynthID standard, which will help identify images that were generated or edited with AI. Apple said SynthID support will arrive in a software update later this year and will be included with most edited images, depending on which edits were applied.
Apple Reference Image will not be available at launch in China due to regulatory requirements. In the EU, Apple Reference Image capture also won't be available at launch on the iPhone 18 Pro models, but users running iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 will still be able to develop and view reference images.
