iOS 18.2 drops an enormous variety of new options onto the iPhone. The second main iOS 18 replace, anticipated Monday, will increase the capabilities of Apple Intelligence — and add loads of goodies for everybody else, too.
Maintain studying or watch our video on the brand new options awaiting iPhone house owners in iOS 18.2.
All the brand new options in iOS 18.2
Though Apple showcased Apple Intelligence because the iPhone 16 lineup’s marquee function, the AI-powered enjoyable (and productiveness) has barely began. The primary Apple Intelligence options, which arrived in iOS 18.1 in October, appeared skimpy. The second batch of Apple Intelligence options in iOS 18.2 show way more promising. And new non-AI options will make your iPhone extra helpful as nicely.
iOS 18.2 runs on all the identical units as iOS 18: iPhone XS, XR, 11, 11 Professional, second-generation iPhone SE and newer. Apple Intelligence options, nonetheless, require a a lot newer gadget: the iPhone 15 Professional/Professional Max or any iPhone 16 mannequin. (Word: Not all Apple Intelligence options will arrive in all areas. They are going to be restricted to sure international locations and languages.)
After the replace is launched, it is possible for you to to put in it in Settings > Basic > Software program Replace.
Desk of contents: New options in iOS 18.2
Picture Playground
Genmoji
Visible Intelligence
ChatGPT in Siri
Every day sudoku puzzles
Share a misplaced merchandise with an AirTag
New e mail classes in Mail app
Share quoted textual content in Safari
Enhancements to Digicam Management
New settings and miscellaneous options
Picture Playground
Creating pictures in Picture Playground.Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Picture Playground is an Apple Intelligence function that permits you to create small AI pictures from scratch. It’s accessible inside Messages or as a standalone app.
You possibly can create a picture by typing in a immediate, choosing an individual you already know or any image out of your photograph library. You possibly can add extra tags so as to add extra element to your picture, by choosing a setting or clothes accent, or by typing in one thing particular.
The outcomes look removed from the state-of-the-art pictures created by AI providers like Midjourney. Nevertheless, as a result of all of it occurs on-device, you can also make as many pictures as you need.
Apple built-in a associated function, Picture Wand, into apps like Notes. You should utilize it to circle a drawing and exchange it with an Picture Playground model of that drawing. Or, primarily based on the context of a notice, you should utilize Picture Wand to create a associated picture from scratch.
Genmoji
Boost a boring dialog with an ostrich emoji.Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
In case you’ve ever been irritated as a result of you possibly can’t discover the fitting emoji for the event, you possibly can create your personal with Genmoji in iOS 18.2. Simply deliver up the emoji keyboard and faucet New Genmoji to the fitting.
You possibly can hold issues easy, utilizing prompts like “ostrich” or “shovel.” Or, you may be extremely particular, like “Bernese mountain dog” or “African gray parrot.” (Genmoji works wonders with animals.)
Alternatively, you possibly can sort within the title of somebody in your Pictures library and create an emoji-fied model of them smiling, laughing or frowning, and with a wide range of gestures and expressions.
Swipe by the generated emoji for various choices — Genmoji makes 4 at a time. You should utilize these in Messages as emoji, tapbacks and stickers.
Visible Intelligence
Work out what issues are and lookup companies.Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Unique to iPhone 16 customers, iOS 18.2’s new Visible Intelligence function helps you to look issues up utilizing the gadget’s digital camera. Click on and maintain the Digicam Management to launch Visible Intelligence; click on it once more to take an image and analyze what’s within the picture.
Faucet Ask to ship the image to ChatGPT. OpenAI’s chatbot may be capable to clarify what you’re , and you’ll ask it follow-up questions for extra data.
Faucet Search to do a Google reverse-image search that may determine an object or lookup a product.
Different Visible Intelligence options are extra context-dependent:
Level the digital camera at one thing with occasion data on it and also you may be capable to rapidly add that occasion to your calendar. Common occasions like concert events or dwell exhibits is likely to be matched on-line and crammed in with extra particulars.
Take an image of a restaurant or retailer and Visible Intelligence will use your GPS location together with knowledge from Apple Maps to provide you data just like the enterprise’ hours, cellphone quantity, web site and menu.
ChatGPT integration
ChatGPT can reply a few of the questions Siri can’t.Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
In iOS 18.2, Siri features ChatGPT integration. Typically, in the event you ask Siri a query it doesn’t know the reply to, as an alternative of displaying you Google outcomes, it’ll ask if you wish to move your query alongside to ChatGPT. Faucet Ask to get the reply.
You can also ask ChatGPT what you’re in your iPhone. In case you ask Siri “What is this?” when you’re a photograph, studying an article, searching the online or watching a video, it’ll ship ChatGPT a screenshot. The chatbot will analyze the information and supply its finest guess.
Every day sudoku puzzles
Three every day sudoku puzzles in Apple Information+. Now all it’s lacking is every day comedian strips.Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
In case you don’t know tips on how to play sudoku, there’s a tutorial that teaches you the foundations.
The interface is fairly just like different iOS sudoku apps. Faucet on a sq. to pick and faucet on a quantity beneath to mark it. You may also write notes about attainable options. The eraser clears a sq.. With none squares on the board chosen, faucet on a quantity to spotlight all situations of that quantity. When you may have a quantity in each sq., its key on the keyboard turns grey — so you already know you’re completed with it.
In case you get caught, or in the event you discover out you made a mistake, a number of instruments supply assist. You possibly can spotlight all of the conflicts on the present board, mark all the wrong numbers, or if you wish to hand over, you possibly can reveal the solutions.
Share a misplaced merchandise with an AirTag
There’s a handy set of choices for in the event you lose your AirTag merchandise.Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
In case you need assistance discovering a misplaced merchandise with an AirTag, like your baggage or a bag, you possibly can briefly get assist from different folks round you — workers at an airport or family and friends, as an illustration. In contrast to sharing an AirTag, this new “Lost mode” is momentary, so it’s not like Doug who works at Chicago O’Hare will be capable to see the place your purse is without end.
New e mail classes in Mail app
In iOS 18.2, Apple’s Mail app mechanically kinds your inbox into completely different classes:
Major holds your private emails and conversations with different folks.
Transactions exhibits your affirmation emails and order updates for buying.
Updates is for notifications from on-line providers.
Promotions is for mailing lists, newsletters and different mass emails you subscribe to.
You possibly can faucet on one of many icons to pick the class and filter your mail; faucet on the present class to deselect it and present All Mail in a single unified record. This function could make sorting by your inbox a lot simpler.
The brand new Mail classes function solely works on the iPhone. It’s not on the Mac — which is barely comprehensible, since Macs run on a totally completely different code base — however weirdly, it’s not on the iPad, both. (It doesn’t seem on the Imaginative and prescient Professional, both, in case anybody cared.)
Share quoted textual content in Safari
Ship somebody a hyperlink that’ll open a particular a part of a web page.Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
If you wish to ship somebody an article in Safari — however you need them to learn a bit midway down the web page, one particular part, and even only a single quote — a brand new function in iOS 18.2 brings a brand new, simpler method.
In Safari, first choose a sentence. Then, from the pop-up menu, swipe over and faucet Copy Hyperlink with Spotlight. You possibly can paste the hyperlink in Messages, Mail, Notes or in some other app. When somebody opens the hyperlink, they’ll see your spotlight.
Enhancements to Digicam Management
Customise the Digicam Management in iOS 18.2.Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
The iPhone 16 lineup’s Digicam Management features three new settings in iOS 18.2.
You possibly can allow a spotlight and publicity lock, type of like clicking and holding the shutter button on a standard digital camera. Go to Settings > Digicam > Digicam Management and allow AE/AF Lock. Then, once you maintain down the Digicam Management, it’ll lock the give attention to no matter is in the course of the body.
In Settings > Show & Brightness, you’ll discover a brand new Require Display screen On setting for the Digicam Management. With the setting enabled, when your iPhone is locked, clicking the Digicam Management will wake it up; clicking it a second time will open the digital camera. Disable this setting if you would like a single click on of the Digicam Management to launch the digital camera right away.
You possibly can modify the velocity of the Digicam Conrol’s double-click gesture. You may make it gradual or a lot slower. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Digicam Management to set it the way you need.
File a multitrack demo in Voice Memos
Harmonize with your self in a Voice Memo.Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
In case you personal an iPhone 16 Professional, you possibly can seize a multitrack recording within the Voice Memos app after you replace to iOS 18.2. This could come in useful if you wish to document a fast music demo, laying down a number of elements that play without delay. You possibly can self-harmonize a cappella like a barbershop quartet or layer a number of devices.
To make use of the brand new multitrack function, after recording the primary observe, faucet the Edit Recording button to the left (with the icon of a waveform). Faucet the + button to the fitting so as to add a second layer; hit File everytime you’re prepared. In case you don’t like one of many takes, you possibly can rewind to the start, toggle between 1 and a couple of, and faucet Change to do it over. Faucet Playback Settings within the higher left to regulate the combo between Monitor 1 and Monitor 2.
Faucet Performed and it can save you the brand new multilayer observe over the unique or as a brand new recording. You possibly can import your recording into Logic Professional on a Mac for superior enhancing.
New settings and miscellaneous options in iOS 18.2
Now, the Writing Instruments can… write.Screenshot: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Right here’s a lightning spherical of recent settings and minor options:
Within the Apple Intelligence writing instruments, now you can sort in a particular change you wish to make utilizing a textual content immediate. You can also generate textual content from scratch with ChatGPT.
You possibly can put a quantity slider in your iPhone’s Lock Display screen to manage the quantity on-screen together with your cellphone locked. To allow this, go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visible and activate At all times Present Quantity Management.
In case you like utilizing Kind to Siri however you discover the “double tap the Home bar” shortcut retains triggering unintentionally, iOS 18.2 provides you an alternative choice: You possibly can add a Kind to Siri toggle in Management Middle. With this enabled, you possibly can disable Kind to Siri in Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri > Speak & Kind to Siri.
iOS 18.2 additionally brings a neater, all-in-one interface for selecting default apps to behave as your internet browser, password supervisor, e mail shopper and extra. Go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps. A few of the classes don’t supply any options but. Nevertheless, as Apple is legally compelled in several elements of the world to make iOS extra modular, this consumer interface will turn into extra helpful over time.
You possibly can set a quantity restrict to your iPhone’s speaker. This solely impacts content material like music, podcasts and movies; alarms and cellphone calls will nonetheless be capable to use the utmost output. You possibly can flip it on in Settings > Sound and Haptics > Quantity Restrict by enabling Restrict Most Quantity and adjusting the slider.
In Settings > Apps > Safari, now you can press Import or Export emigrate your searching historical past, bookmarks, extensions and passwords to and from a unique internet browser. This turns out to be useful if you wish to swap to an alternate iPhone browser.
In iPadOS, you possibly can customise the gadgets within the high navigation bar with shortcuts to your favourite sections.
Apple Intelligence now helps regional dialects of English for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK.
In case you dwell within the European Union, you possibly can delete extra inventory Apple apps out of your cellphone. Now you can take away Pictures, Safari, Messages, Digicam and the App Retailer.
Extra new options in iOS 18
In case you aren’t caught up on the opposite latest updates, take a look at the 50-plus new options in iOS 18 and the 18 new options in iOS 18.1.
