Press Command-Shift-Space bar to select a window, or Command-Shift-6 to drag across any part of the screen, and macOS 27 lets you ask Siri about what you captured. Both shortcuts work once Siri AI (Beta) is turned on, and they hand your selection to Visual Intelligence.
That turns whatever is open on your Mac into something you can question: a web page, a document, a photo or a map. Apple’s Mac User Guide says Siri can “tap into Visual Intelligence to ask questions, take action, and search based on what’s on your Mac screen.”
What your Mac needs
Apple’s guide sets the bar: Siri AI “is available in beta on macOS 27 or later on an Apple Intelligence-enabled MacBook Neo (A18 Pro) or Mac model with M1 or later with Siri and device language set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Usage limits may apply.”
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The limits are daily. Apple’s footnote says server-side features, Siri AI included, carry limits that vary “by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors,” and that expanded access will be available for a fee in the future. If you haven’t updated yet, check and back up your Mac before installing macOS 27.
To turn on Siri AI:
- Open the Settings app on your Mac.
- Click Siri in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
- If Siri is off, click Turn On Siri, then click “Try Siri AI (Beta).” If Siri is already on, click “Try Siri AI (Beta).”
- Follow the onscreen instructions.
Capture a window or part of the screen
Pick the shortcut that matches what you want Siri to look at:
- Command-Shift-Space bar selects a window. Use it when the whole window matters, such as an email with an event in it.
- Command-Shift-6, then click and hold your mouse or trackpad to select a portion of the screen. Use it to isolate a single chart, photo or paragraph.
Apple’s macOS 27 release notes call the window shortcut Visual Intelligence’s “dedicated keyboard shortcut,” and give adding events to your calendar as an example of acting on what’s onscreen.
With a selection made, you have three choices:
- Ask a question. Type into the Ask Siri field that appears. Apple’s example is “What place is this and how do I get there?”
- Take an action. Click one of the actions that appears. Select an image of a recipe, for example, then choose “Look up nutrition” when it shows up.
- Find similar images. Click Image Search to search the internet for pictures like the one you selected.
The actions depend on what you capture, so expect different options from one selection to the next.
Ask about an open window or files in the Finder
You don’t always need a capture. Activate Siri and ask about something already on your screen. Apple’s example is “Explain this from my class notes” with a diagram open in the Notes app.
The Finder version is the most Mac-specific trick here. Select two documents, Control-click one of them, choose Ask Siri, then ask something like “Which quarterly report grew faster?” It saves opening both files and comparing them yourself.
To keep going, Apple says to swipe down on Siri’s answer to start a conversation and ask follow-up questions, so you can refine an answer without starting again.
Control what Siri can see
You can choose which Siri features you can use, and which content Siri can access, in Screen Time settings. That helps on a shared family Mac, or on a work machine where some content should stay out of reach.
For everything else in the update, see our macOS 27 Golden Gate release coverage. If you’re weighing a new machine, our guide to every Mac Apple sells right now lists the chip inside each model.
