This new Apple Intelligence feature in iOS 26 might be one of my all-time favorites

Michael Burkhardt | Jan 11 2026 - 9:50 am PT

Here are the things I love most about iOS 26 | Stylized iOS 26 graphic with a liquid glass heart

It’s been half a year since iOS 26 debuted in beta, so I’ve had quite a bit of time to sit with it. In a release with such a massive redesign, it’s easy for some of the smaller additional features to fly under the radar – but after giving iOS 26 my fair shot, I’ve come to really like one underlying feature in particular, and it has to do with screenshots.

Screenshots as a whole in iOS 26 received a pretty big visual overhaul, with an all new interface to encompass three new Apple Intelligence features: creating calendar events with screenshots, image search to find web results, and the ability to ask ChatGPT about your screenshot.

Visual Intelligence for Calendar events

One of the most useful features I’ve found in iOS 26 is the first one: the ability to create a calendar event with a screenshot.

I’ve never been much of a heavy calendar person. I do have my calendar widget on my home screen for when calendar invites are shared with me, but I’ve never really been much of a person to create calendar events for my own sake.

Generally, I preferred relying on Reminders, my to-do app (Todoist), and pure memory. iOS 26 changed that, though.

Now that adding something to calendar is as easy as taking a screenshot, I’ve been using calendar for far more. It particularly came in handy during CES, when I had many different events to bounce around.

I’ve also found that this feature works remarkably well. Whether you’re screenshotting an Instagram story, an email, or a website, I’m yet to see it fail to pull out the relevant details and turn it into a calendar event.

All you have to do is take a screenshot and tap the little add to calendar button at the bottom. You’ll read over the details, then you can just add it. It’s really that simple.

My favorite Apple accessory recommendations:

Follow Michael: X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram

Add 9to5Mac as a preferred source on Google

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:

Comments

Author

Michael Burkhardt mbrkhrdt

Michael is 9to5Mac’s Weekend Editor, keeping up with all of the latest Apple news on Saturday and Sunday. He got started in the world of Apple news during the pandemic, and it became a growing hobby. He’s also an indie iOS developer in his free time, and has published numerous apps over the years.

Michael Burkhardt's favorite gear

Anker 25K Compact Battery Bank

Featuring two built in cables, a built in display, multiple ports, a 25,000mAh capacity, and up to 100W of output - this is one of the best battery banks for recharging your entire Apple ecosystem on the go.

AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C)

Despite a new version reportedly being around a corner, I still personally believe AirPods Pro 2 are a great deal. They're already equipped with USB-C, and continually gain new software features. With them consistently going on sale, it's a great purchase to make. Features like Adaptive Audio are incredible.