Apple Adds SynthID Watermarks to iPhone AI Images in iOS 27.2
In iOS 27.2, images generated by Image Playground and some photos edited via Apple Intelligence will embed Google's SynthID watermark. SynthID marks AI-generated content at the pixel level without affecting image quality, and is designed to withstand cropping, filters, and compression. Hands-on testing shows that images edited with Extend and Reframe carry watermarks, while small-scale Clean Up edits do not add a watermark and only larger edits do; there is no detection entry point on iPhone, so users must check via the SynthID Detector website.
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Images generated with Image Playground and some photos edited with Apple Intelligence will now include a SynthID watermark. Apple announced plans to add SynthID support back in June, and the feature is live in iOS 27.2.
SynthID is a Google-created tool that identifies AI-generated content. It watermarks images and videos at the pixel level instead of adding metadata. Google says it does not affect image quality and is meant to survive cropping, filters, and compression. SynthID is used by Google, Apple, OpenAI, and others.
There is no option on the iPhone for detecting SynthID watermarks, and to check for them, you need to use the SynthID Detector website.
When we tested the Photos app tools, images altered with Extend and Reframe had SynthID watermarks when checked, but Clean Up watermarking seemed to depend on the size of the edit. With small edits, no watermark was added. Larger Clean Up edits included a SynthID watermark.
Images created with Image Playground will all have the SynthID watermark. Related Roundups: iOS 27, iPadOS 27Related Forum: iOS 27