iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 are now available to developers and public beta testers ahead of a planned December launch. The update introduces the next-generation Apple Intelligence features like Genmoji an Image Playground, but even if you don't have an Apple Intelligence-capable device, there are other features that are worth knowing about.
This guide highlights all of the new features we've found in iOS 18.2 so far.
Apple Intelligence
There are a whole bunch of new Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.2, including Image Playground and Genmoji. It's a much more fun update than iOS 18.1 thanks to the image generation features. You'll want to check out our launch post for full details on what's included, but here's a quick overview.
- Image Playground - There's an Image Playground app and Messages integration for creating stylized images based on prompts and images of you and your friends.
- Image Wand - Image Wand is for adding images to what you've written in the Notes app. On iPad, you can use the Apple Pencil to make a rough sketch and have Image Wand turn it into something nicer.
- Genmoji - With Genmoji, you can create custom emoji. It's similar to Image Playground, but on a smaller emoji-sized scale. People that have iOS 18.1 installed will see Genmoji and can even get information about them, but they can only be created in iOS 18.2. In earlier versions of iOS, they show up as an image.
- Siri ChatGPT - Siri can now hand over requests to ChatGPT, a feature that's entirely opt-in. You don't need an account, and anything you ask Siri can be sent to ChatGPT if you want. ChatGPT has more advanced info than Siri and can also generate images and text. If you want to make it simpler to turn requests over to ChatGPT, you can toggle off the Ask Every Time setting so Siri doesn't always need your permission to contact ChatGPT. Siri with ChatGPT integration supports on-screen responses, so you can do things like ask "what's in this photo?" when you're looking at an image. In beta 2, Apple added an interface to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus for access to ChatGPT 4o without limits.
- Visual Intelligence - On iPhone 16, Visual Intelligence can be used to identify objects and places around you. Long press the Camera Control button to get to Visual Intelligence, and then point your iPhone at something. You can get hours and reviews if the camera is looking at a restaurant, copy text, get text read aloud, search for items on Google, ask ChatGPT questions about objects, and more.
- Writing Tools - The Rewrite Writing Tools feature is no longer limited to three styles. You can describe the tone or content that you want, such as adding more dynamic words or turning an email into a poem.
- Languages - With iOS 18.2, Apple Intelligence supports English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK in addition to U.S. English, so if you're in Canada, you no longer have to set your iPhone to U.S. English to use Apple Intelligence.
Apple Arcade
In the Apple Arcade section of the App Store, the "All Games" section has a new drop down filter menu and the option to turn off game previews.
Mail App Categorization
In the Mail app, there are new built-in categories for separating out important emails, deals, newsletters, transaction emails, and more.
The Mail app includes bigger pictures for contacts and businesses, and all emails from a single person or source will be pooled together.
Voice Memos
With Voice Memos, two tracks can be layered on top of one another. There's also an option to separate layers and edit layer mixes.
Find My
Find My has a new option to Share Item Location with an "airline or trusted person" that can help you locate something that you've misplaced. Choosing the Share Item Location option creates a link that lets someone view the location of a lost item when they open the link.
The link can be opened on a non-Apple device, so an iPhone or Mac is not required to provide someone with your item's location. Links expire after a week or when you're reunited with your lost item.
There's also an option to Show Contact Info, which lets any phone or tablet connect to an item to view a website with more information about it, including the phone number and email address of the owner.
EU App Changes
In the European Union, users can now delete core apps that include the App Store, Safari, Messages, Camera, and Photos.
Third-party browser apps in the EU will be able to create web apps for the iPhone's Home screen using their own custom engines when iOS 18.2 launches.
iPadOS 18.2 requires selecting a Default Browser when opening Safari. This is a Digital Markets Act requirement, with Apple adding an updated interface that will let users select a default web browser of their choice from a list of options.
Apple has already implemented this change in iOS 18.
Default Apps Section
In the Settings app under "Apps," there's a new "Default Apps" section that can be used to manage your default apps for the iPhone... Click here to read rest of article
Article Link: Everything New in the iOS 18.2 Beta
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