We make Brainy, number five of the seven options on this page. Apple's own app comes first because it is already on many iPhones.
Seven ways to make an AI image on iPhone
Ratings are from the US App Store, read on 23 October 2026.
| App | What it does with images | Good to know | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image Playground (Apple) | Images from a description, from your photos or from people in your library; tap or circle part of an image to change it; choose the aspect ratio | Needs an iPhone with Apple Intelligence; Apple says it uses server models with daily usage limits (Apple, 121115) | 2.7 (about 5,000 ratings) |
| ChatGPT | Generates images from a description and transforms existing ones with words | Images live inside a general chat app | 4.8 (11.5 million) |
| Google Gemini | Generates and edits photos with Nano Banana 2: camera and lighting controls, mockups from several images, posters with sharp text | Google account | 4.7 (2.4 million) |
| Meta AI | Creates and edits images; edit a photo by sketching on it or asking for a change | Tied to Meta's apps and account | 4.7 (282,000) |
| Brainy | A Create tab for images and short videos, from words or from one photo, with five image options and five shapes | Creating needs Brainy Pro; cost in credits shown before you create | 4.7 (3 ratings) |
| Grok | Grok Imagine: images from text or voice, edits to existing images, photos turned into videos | X account | 4.9 (1.5 million) |
| Adobe Firefly | Images and video from text, Generative Fill, background removal, a choice of resolutions and aspect ratios, partner models | Made for creative work; Adobe account | 4.7 (10,900) |
What we checked in Brainy's code
We read the Create screen of the version on sale today (1.4.0) and the server list it loads. You can add one reference photo or start from words only; choose between five image options, named by what they are good at (Fast, Detailed, Best quality, Text & posters, Creative); and pick one of five shapes: 1:1, 9:16, 16:9, 2:3 or 3:2. The credit cost of each option is shown before you tap, and a Surprise Me button writes an example prompt. Creating is part of Brainy Pro, and before the first image the app asks your permission to send the prompt to the image provider.
Step by step
- Pick where the image is made. Image Playground if your iPhone has Apple Intelligence and you want it built in; a chat app you already use (ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, Grok) if you also want to talk the idea through; Firefly or Brainy if you want a screen made only for creating.
- Describe the picture in one sentence. Subject, what it is doing, where, and the style: "a golden retriever in a velvet cape, oil painting, museum lighting". Concrete words beat adjectives like "beautiful".
- Choose the shape before you generate. Square (1:1) for a profile picture or post, tall (9:16) for a story or wallpaper, wide (16:9) for a slide or video thumbnail.
- Start from a photo when likeness matters. For your pet, your product or your living room, add a photo as reference and say what to change. Only use photos of people who agree to it.
- Change one thing at a time. If the result is close, ask for a single change ("warmer light", "remove the text") instead of rewriting the whole prompt.
- For text in the image, say the exact words. Put the words in quotes and keep them short. Some models spell better than others; in Brainy that is the Text & posters option.
- Save it and check how you may use it. Save to Photos, then read the app's terms before using an image commercially, and label AI images as AI when you share them.
Which one to choose
- Image Playground is already there on iPhones with Apple Intelligence and works across Messages, Keynote and Freeform. Its App Store rating is the lowest here, and Apple warns of daily limits.
- ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI and Grok are general assistants that also draw; useful if you already use one of them every day.
- Adobe Firefly is the most complete for design work: fills, background removal and video.
- Brainy puts chat, homework help from a photo and image and video creation in one iPhone app, with the cost of each image shown before you make it. It has very few ratings so far, it is iPhone only, and you cannot make images without Brainy Pro. More on the Brainy page and in our comparison of AI apps for chat and images.
Sources
- App Store pages (descriptions and ratings, US store) of Image Playground, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Meta AI, Grok, Adobe Firefly and Brainy, read 23 October 2026.
- Apple, Apple Intelligence features and requirements (121115), published 22 October 2026.
- Brainy 1.4.0 source code (Create screen) and its server model list, read 23 October 2026.
Questions people ask
How do I make an AI image on my iPhone?
Open an app that makes images (Image Playground on iPhones with Apple Intelligence, or an app such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, Grok, Adobe Firefly or Brainy), describe the picture, choose the shape and generate. Most can also start from one of your photos.
Does Image Playground run on the iPhone?
Apple lists Image Playground among the Apple Intelligence features that rely on server models and have daily usage limits.
Which iPhones have Image Playground?
iPhones with Apple Intelligence: iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, iPhone 16 and later, iPhone Air and iPhone Duo, according to Apple's list of 22 October 2026.
Can I turn my own photo into an AI image?
Yes. Image Playground, ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, Grok, Firefly and Brainy can all start from a photo and change it from a description.
How do I get readable text in an AI image?
Write the exact words in quotes and keep them short. Gemini says its model designs posters with sharp text; in Brainy, pick the Text & posters option.
Does Brainy make images?
Yes, in its Create tab, from words or one photo, with five image options and five shapes. Creating needs Brainy Pro.