Here’s everything new in iOS 17.2

After the release of iOS 17.1 in October, Apple has now released iOS 17.2 with a number of major new features for iPhone users. Here’s everything new.

What’s new in iOS 17.2?

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Journal app

The headlining change in iOS 17.2 is the addition of the new Journal app, which Apple first unveiled at WWDC in June. Apple describes the new Journal app as an “all-new way to appreciate life’s moments and preserve your memories.”

At launch, the Journal app is only available on iPhones. There’s no word on when or if Apple plans to expand it to the iPad and Mac.

• Learn more about the new Journal app in iOS 17.2

Apple Music ‘Favorites’ changes

For Apple Music users, there is a new default playlist called “Favorite Songs” that is automatically generated based on songs you’ve “favorited.” This builds upon the “Favorites” feature that was first introduced in iOS 17.1.

iOS 17.2 can now automatically add songs to your music library when you favorite them. You can find this option by going to the Settings app and then choosing “Music.”

Apple Music listening history

iOS 17.2 adds the ability to turn off Apple Music Listening History when Focus Mode is on. “Choose if music played will influence recommendations and mixes, appear in Recently Played, or be shown to others on Apple Music,” Apple explains.

This means that when you have a particular Focus mode enabled, you can toggle on the Apple Music Focus Filter to prevent any songs played from affecting your listening data.

Spatial Video recording

With iOS 17.2, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max users can record spatial video for Vision Pro. You can enable the new spatial video toggle by going to the Settings app, choosing the Camera menu, then choosing Formats and toggling the “Spatial Video for Apple Vision Pro” option.

Spatial video is recorded in 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second. Apple estimates that one minute of spatial video takes up around 130MB of storage space.

• iOS 17.2 beta 2 enables Vision Pro spatial video capture on iPhone 15 Pro
• Apple has allowed some press to view their own spatial videos in Vision Pro, Final Cut gaining editing ability next year

Default notification sounds

At long last, iOS 17.2 adds the ability to change the default notification sound. This comes after iOS 17 changed the default notification sound from “Tri-tone” to “Rebound,” which has proven to be a controversial decision.

In iOS 17.2, you can go to the Settings app and choose “Sounds & Haptics” to find a new “Default Alerts” option. Here, you can change the default sound and haptic feedback for alerts.

New features for Messages

Another feature coming with iOS 17.2 is the ability to react to messages using any sticker or emoji in the Messages app. This is done by long-pressing on a message and choosing the new “Add Sticker” option.

iOS 17.2 also adds a new “catch-up arrow” to the Messages app. This lets you easily jump to your first unread message in a conversation by tapping the arrow visible in the top-right corner.

AirDrop updates

Apple says that iOS 17.2 includes “AirDrop improvements” for iPhone users. In particular, Apple says that you can now share boarding passes, movie tickets, and other eligible passes by bringing two iPhones together.

This is similar to NameDrop, the feature in iOS 17 that allows you to share contact information by tapping two iPhones together.

Action Button adds ‘Translate’ option

With iOS 17.2, iPhone 15 Pro users can assign their Action button to a new “Translate” option. With this enabled, pressing the Action button initiates an automatic voice-to-text translation between two languages.

Although this capability was first introduced during the announcement of the iPhone 15 Pro in September, it wasn’t added until iOS 17.2.

New widgets for Clock and Weather

Apple has added three new widgets for the Weather app: 

• Details: See the chance of precipitation, UV index, wind, and more. 
• Daily forecast: See the current weather conditions and daily forecast for a location. 
• Sunrise and sunset: See the upcoming sunrise and sunset information for your location. 

For the Clock app, there’s a new “Clock Digital” widget that displays the current time in a digital format rather than analog. This is the first digital clock widget Apple has offered.

‘Local Awareness’ for Emergency Alerts

iOS 17.2 includes a new “Local Awareness” option for Emergency Alerts. “Apple can use your approximate location to improve the timeliness, accuracy, and reliability of emergency,” Apple says.

To enable this option, go to the Settings app, head to Notifications, then choose Emergency Alerts and look for the new “Local Awareness” toggle.

Contact Key Verification

A year ago, Apple unveiled a feature called Contact Key Verification to enhance the security of iMessage. This feature has now been added to iOS 17.2.

Contact Key Verification enables users of iMessage to ensure that their messages are reaching only the intended recipients.

Apple has highlighted that this functionality is particularly intended for individuals who are at a heightened risk of targeted online threats, such as government officials, journalists, and celebrities.

• More on Contact Key Verification in iOS 17.2: Apple debuts iMessage Contact Key Verification with iOS 17.2 beta

iPhone 15 Pro camera improvements

Surprisingly, Apple says that iOS 17.2 includes an improvement to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max camera. In particular, the update focuses on improving focusing speed with the Telephoto camera.

“Improved Telephoto camera focusing speed when capturing small faraway objects on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max,” Apple says in the iOS 17.2 release notes.

We’ll have to put iOS 17.2 through more testing to know just how big of a change this is. Still, the fact it got a mention in the iOS 17.2 release notes is a good sign.

AirPlay and Vision Pro

iOS 17.2 adds a new “AirPlay Receiver” option for Vision Pro. “Stream or share content from Apple Vision Pro to your iPhone,” Apple explains.

Vision Pro is currently expected to be released sometime in “early 2024.” The new toggle is in the Settings app under the AirPlay menu.

iTunes Store changes

Bloomberg has reported that Apple plans to phase the dedicated iTunes movie and TV show apps in favor of the TV app. iOS 17.2 lays the groundwork for these changes, including new messaging that redirects users to the TV app.

In fact, the companion tvOS 17.2 update does indeed discontinue the new iTunes Movies and TV Shows applications.

Qi2 charging support for iPhone 13 and iPhone 14

For iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 users, iOS 17.2 unlocks support for Qi2 wireless charging. This comes after the iPhone 15 was announced as the first Qi2-enabled iPhone and before the first Qi2 accessories hit the market this month.

Qi2 is the second iteration of the Qi wireless charging standard, and it’s focused on magnets. Qi2 unlocks up to 15W wireless charging – plus all the other benefits of magnetic charging. That includes things like better efficiency and easier alignment.

Software update features

iOS 17.2 also lays the groundwork for a new feature that will allow iPhones to be updated even if they are still sealed in the box.

For instance, Apple retail employees will be able to update iPhones without taking them out of the box. Currently, iPhones are shipped from the factory with whatever build of iOS was available at that time. This means millions of iPhones out there ship with software that is multiple updates old by the time that phone arrives to the customer.

More changes in iOS 17.2

• The new “Sensitive Content Warning” feature in iOS 17 is expanding to stickers in the Messages app and Contact Posters in the Contacts app.
• Siri can now tell you your ETA when using Apple Maps and tell you your current altitude.
• Apple says that iOS 17.2 fixes Wi-Fi slowdowns and connectivity issues.
• In the App Store’s “Apps” and “Games” sections, there are new subcategories that appear along the top for additional filtering options.
• Enhanced AutoFill identifies fields in PDFs and other forms, enabling you to populate them with information such as names and addresses from your contacts

• iOS 17.2 lets users turn off inline text predictions without turning off predictive text: more details here
• There’s a new rainbow text option when designing a Contact Poster in iOS 17.2. 
• The Apple Books app has added a new “Fast Fade” option for page turning.
• Siri support for privately accessing and logging Health app data using your voice.
• Fixes an issue that may prevent wireless charging in certain vehicles.

What not to expect: Apple Music collaborative playlists

The first three betas of iOS 17.2 included the ability to create collaborative playlists in Apple Music. This feature was announced by Apple at WWDC in June and teased as coming sometime later this year.

iOS 17.2 beta 4, however, removed the ability to create collaborative Apple Music playlists, and the feature did not return in the RC update. Apple appears to have pulled the feature over concerns around abuse and spam.

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