Apple Integrates Google's SynthID Watermarking into iOS 27.2 for AI-Generated Images

Apple has added Google's SynthID technology to iOS 27.2, embedding invisible watermarks in images created by Image Playground and some photos edited with Apple Intelligence, according to MacRumors' report on October 26.

SynthID, developed by Google, is a generative AI content identification technique that embeds watermarks at the pixel level to mark AI images and videos. Google says the feature does not affect image quality and is resistant to cropping, filters, and compression.

However, the iPhone does not include a built-in SynthID detection tool. Users must visit the SynthID Detector website to check whether an image carries the AI watermark.

In testing by MacRumors, images processed with the Expand and Reframe features in the Photos app were detected as AI-generated. Whether the Clean Up tool adds a watermark appears to depend on the extent of the edit: small adjustments do not add a watermark, while larger edits do. All images created via Image Playground carry the SynthID watermark.