Receiving an on‑screen image from another app via App Intents / Siri (app has no photo library)

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Created 8h

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I have a photo editing app that owns no photo library. I want a user viewing an image in another app (e.g. Photos) to say "filter this image in MyApp" and have Siri hand that on‑screen image to my intent. Targeting iOS 27.

What I've tried, and the result in each case:

• App Shortcut + @Parameter var image: IntentFile — Siri resolves my other parameters (a filter AppEnum) by voice, but never binds the image; the run fails. • @AppIntent(schema: .photos.setFilter) with a .photos.asset entity — never routes from Photos. • @AppIntent(schema: .system.open): OpenIntent with a custom AppEntity target — "Open this image in MyApp" just launches the app by name; perform() is never called, and the entity query never runs.

My understanding from WWDC26 "Build intelligent Siri experiences with App Schemas" (session 240) and "Discover new capabilities in the App Intents framework" (session 345):

• Cross‑app content transfer (Transferable + IntentValueRepresentation) seems limited to system value types (IntentPerson, PlaceDescriptor); IntentFile is not a _SystemIntentValue, so an image can't ride that rail. • Onscreen awareness (NSUserActivity.appEntityIdentifier, View Annotations) appears to expose only the foreground app's own content — which here is Photos, not me.

Question: Is there a supported way for a third‑party app to receive another app's on‑screen image (vs. a contact/place) through Siri/App Intents today? If so, which API carries the pixels — an IntentFile parameter, @UnionValue, IntentValueQuery, something else — and what must the source app do to make it available? Or is asking "do X to this image in <third‑party app>" simply not supported yet outside Shortcuts?

Answer 1

J0hn OP

8h

I am very interested in the solution to this.

You may be told to create “photos.create” intent as well, so the system knows how to create a photo in your App’s domain, but even after doing that, this use-case of cross-app photo opening does not work for me.

I’ve tried with images displayed in Safari. I’ve tried with Files in the files app. I‘ve tried with photos in the photos app.

(In my case I’m trying to get “.addToAlbum“, not ”.setFilter”, to work.)

It will only ever work from within my app working on an image made available by my app. I see it go from file -> photo -> addToAlbum as expected.

Like you, though, the real utility is third party provided data ingestion.

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