Alt Text Intelligence

Pick a photo, get editable alt text, and copy or publish it. This offers on-device alt generation using Apple Intelligence, with optional cloud fallback ten times a day.

HOW IT WORKS

• Choose, take, paste, or share a photo.

• Confirm before a photo is sent for cloud analysis.

• Review and edit the description in your own words.

• Copy the alt text, share an image with its description embedded, or publish to a connected social account.

LOCAL-FIRST FALLBACK

When cloud describe is declined, unavailable, or out of daily quota, the app keeps working on device. The local pipeline uses Vision cues such as recognized text, classifications, faces, animals, saliency, and dominant color to compose a factual description. Supported devices can also use the system language model to refine those grounded cues.

LENGTH AND PLATFORM GUIDANCE

Choose Brief, Standard, or Detailed, then optionally apply a practical destination limit for Bluesky, Mastodon, X, LinkedIn, or Instagram / Threads. A destination can shorten the result but never makes a deliberately brief description longer. The standards report links back to accessibility guidance.

WAYS TO DESCRIBE

• Use the Alt Text tab for photos, camera captures, or clipboard images.

• Share an image from another app; cloud credits are tried first after consent, with a local fallback.

• Use the Photos action extension without leaving Photos.

• Run Describe an Image from Shortcuts, Siri, or Spotlight.

• Reopen a saved image from History and compose a fresh write-up.

PRIVACY

• Cloud describe runs only after confirmation and uses an anonymous quota identifier.

• Our server does not retain uploaded images.

• Paid inference requests are not used to train language models.

• On-device describe keeps the photo local.

• No account is required.

• Optional diagnostic reports stay on the device unless you choose to email one.

• No tracking.

ACCESSIBILITY

• Dynamic Type, VoiceOver, Bold Text, and system accessibility settings are supported.

• Atkinson Hyperlegible Next and the system font are available.

• Reading spacing, contrast, transparency, motion, and non-color differentiation controls complement system settings.

• W3C WAI guidance is cited throughout the app.

HISTORY AND EXPORT

Every completed write-up saves locally to History. Export saved alt text, length presets, and thumbnails as JSON when you explicitly accept the export notice.

Luke Steuber • lukesteuber.com