iOS 18.2: New features, release date, more – 9to5Mac

With iOS 18.1 set for a release in just a few weeks, attention will soon shift to iOS 18.1 and its new features. iOS 18.2 will likely be released in December and is set to include the next wave of Apple Intelligence features, new iPhone 16 features, and more. Keep reading for the full details on what to except from iOS 18.2…

iOS 18.2 release date

According to Bloomberg, Apple will release iOS 18.1 on October 28. Beta testing for iOS 18.2 will likely begin soon thereafter and run until sometime in December. Apple is then expected to release iOS 18.2 to the general public.

Here is a timeline of when Apple has released point-two updates for major iOS versions in previous years:

• iOS 17.2: December 11, 2023
  • First beta released on October 26
• iOS 16.2: December 13, 2022
  • First beta released on October 27
• iOS 15.1: December 13, 2021
  • First beta released on October 27

As you can see, Apple has shifted to a December release date for its point-two updates in recent years. Bloomberg has also reported that Apple is aiming to get iOS 18.2 to “zero-bug status in early November” so it can finalize beta testing and “ship it by December.”

Apple Intelligence upgrades in iOS 18.2

Much like the iOS 18.1 update, iOS 18.2 will focus a lot on Apple Intelligence. The update is expected to bring the next wave of Apple’s artificial intelligence features to the iPhone as part of the gradual rollout plans announced back in June at WWDC.

According to Bloomberg, iOS 18.2 is set to include these Apple Intelligence features:

Image Playground

Perhaps most notably, iOS 18.2 will also reportedly include Apple’s Image Playground app. This app will let you type to create “fun images in seconds” with three different styles: Animation, Illustration, and Sketch. In addition to being available as a standalone app, Image Playground will also be built right into apps like Messages and Mail.

Apple shared the first example of an Image Playground creation last month, depicting Apple executive Craig Federighi’s dog.

Genomji

Genmoji is an Apple Intelligence feature that will let you generate custom emoji based on text descriptions. Apple explains:

Taking emoji to an entirely new level, users can create an original Genmoji to express themselves. By simply typing a description, their Genmoji appears, along with additional options. Users can even create Genmoji of friends and family based on their photos. Just like emoji, Genmoji can be added inline to messages, or shared as a sticker or reaction in a Tapback.

ChatGPT integration

When you interact with Siri, you will have the option to communicate with ChatGPT. Apple says that Siri will “tap into ChatGPT’s expertise when helpful, including things like world knowledge questions as well as image- and document-understanding capabilities.

Additionally, ChatGPT will be integrated with Writing Tools, allowing you to generate text based on the topics you’re writing about. This will also include the ability to tap into ChatGPT’s image tools to generate images “in a wide variety of styles.”

Priority Notifications

Finally, Apple will also reportedly debut Priority Notifications as part of iOS 18.2 later this year. Priority Notifications will appear at the top of your notification stack “to surface what’s most important.”

Apple Intelligence in new countries

Apple has announced that Apple Intelligence will come to additional countries in December:

• Australia
• Canada
• New Zealand
• South Africa
• United Kington

Camera Control upgrades for iPhone 16

Two-stage shutter

The Camera Control on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro will get a new feature before the end of the year: a two-stage shutter mode. This feature will let you automatically lock focus and exposure on a subject with a light press, then a full press will actually take the image.

Apple says that this feature will be available “later this fall,” suggesting it will be included in iOS 18.2.

Visual intelligence

There’s also one more Apple Intelligence feature coming this year for iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro users, dubbed visual intelligence. When you click and hold the Camera Control button, you will activate this new visual intelligence mode to learn more about the things around you.

Apple explains:

Users can click and hold Camera Control to pull up the hours or ratings for a restaurant they pass, add an event from a flyer to their calendar, quickly identify a dog by breed, and more. Camera Control will also serve as a gateway into third-party tools with specific domain expertise, like when users want to search on Google to find where they can buy an item, or to benefit from ChatGPT’s problem-solving skills. Users are in control of when third-party tools are used and what information is shared.

The visual intelligence feature will be available “later this year,” according to Apple.

Mail app redesign

According to Mark Gurman, iOS 18.2 will also include the new Mail app design that Apple previewed at WWDC in June. The Mail app will use on-device categorization to organize and sort incoming email into different categories:

• Primary: Personal and time-sensitive emails
• Transactions: Confirmations and receipts
• Updates: News and social media notifications
• Promotions: Marketing emails and coupons

The Mail app will also add a new “digest view” that pulls together all relevant emails from a specific business.

Notably, these changes to the Mail app are not labeled as Apple Intelligence features. This means they will be available on all devices that run iOS 18.

Changes in the EU

Apple has also announced more changes coming to the iPhone in the European Union in a software update later this year:

• There are more tweaks coming to the browser choice screen that appears on iPhone.
• Users will have the ability to set default apps for phone calls, messaging, password managers, keyboards, and call spam filters.
• Users will be able to delete the App Store, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Safari apps.

More possibilities

There are other features that Apple has announced but not yet released that could be included in iOS 18.2 this December:

• Robot vacuum support in the Home app: including features such as as power control, cleaning mode, vacuum, mop, and charge status
• We’re waiting on the official launch of new hearing health features for AirPods Pro 2, including Hearing Aid and Hearing Test modes. Apple has received FDA authorization for the Hearing Aid feature, but has not confirmed an official release date.

Wrap up

What are you most excited to try in iOS 18.2 later this fall? Do you think you’ll find yourself regularly using the new Image Playground and Genmoji features? Let us know down in the comments.

Read more about iOS 18.2:

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