Apple is beta testing iOS 17.2, the second major update to the iOS 17 operating system that came out in September. We expect to see a public launch in December, so there are still several betas to go before the software debuts.
This guide covers everything new in iOS 17.2 beta, and we’ll be updating it throughout the beta testing period.
Journal App
iOS 17.2 includes the Journal app that Apple announced as part of iOS 17. The Journal app allows users to record their daily activities and thoughts, with Apple providing optional prompts that can be used as inspiration.
A journal entry can be added by tapping the “+” button in the journal app, and from there users can choose a suggestion as the basis for their writing or just select “New Post” to write anything.
Entries are automatically tagged with a date for organizational purposes, but there are options for bookmarks as well. Journal entries can contain images, voice recordings and location tags.
Messages App Sticker Reactions
You can now long-press any chat bubble in the Messages app to add a sticker reply that works as an alternative to a feedback reaction. Tapping “Add Sticker” allows you to choose either a sticker or an emoji to apply to the corner of an iMessage.
There was already an option to drag a sticker or emoji to a message bubble, but this is a much faster method of quickly responding to an incoming message with a quick graphic that’s more expressive than a feedback reaction.
Spatial video recording
With iOS 17.2, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max can be used to record spatial video that will be displayed in the Photos app on the Vision Pro headset.
Spatial video recording can be enabled by going to the Settings app, clicking the Camera section, selecting Format, and switching to “Spatial Video for Apple Vision Pro.” Apple says that for best results when recording spatial video, the iPhone should be held steady in landscape orientation while recording video. Video is recorded at 30 frames per second in 1080p, and one minute of video takes up 130MB of storage space.
When spatial videos taken with an “iPhone” are viewed on the “iPhone”, they are displayed as normal videos. To view the video in 3D, the Vision Pro headset is required.
Collaborative Apple Music playlists
There is now an option to create a playlist in Apple Music that multiple people can add to. In a playlist you’ve created, tap the three-dot icon at the top right of the app.
From there, select the Collaborate option and select “Start Collaboration.” You will be able to create a link to the playlist, and anyone with access to that link can add to it. You can also invite people to join via QR code, and if you want, you can approve each person who asks to join.
Favorites Apple Music playlist
Songs that you have favorited in the Apple Music app are now collected in a favorite playlist.
Apple Music Listening History Focus Filter
There is a focus filter for the Apple Music Listening History feature, so if you want to let someone else use your device to listen to music, you can turn this on to turn off Listening History so their song selections don’t affect your recommendations.
Action button Translate
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max users can now select a new Translate option for the action button.
When the Action button is set to Translate, pressing and holding will cause the iPhone to pop up a Translate window that listens for spoken text. It can translate from one set language to another, using the languages you previously set in the Translate app.
First previewed in December 2022, iMessage Contact Key Verification is a feature designed for those facing “extraordinary digital threats,” such as journalists, human rights activists, and government officials.
Users can ensure there’s no “man in the middle” snooping on iMessage conversations, and there’s an option to show a contact verification code so iMessage users can verify they’re talking to the right person during face-to-face meetings or on FaceTime Call.
Notifications in iCloud sync
The “Messages” section of iCloud in the Settings app has been renamed “Messages in iCloud”. It shows the total amount of storage space that messages take up, the number of messages synced with iCloud, and the time of the last sync. There is also a “Sync Now” option to force an update.
Apple previously said that additional settings would be synced through iCloud messaging in iOS 17, such as text message forwarding, send and receive accounts, and SMS filters across devices, so this could see these additional settings synced.
The Apple TV app
Apple has removed the separate tabs for movies and TV shows in the Store section of the Apple TV app on iPhone and iPad. BloombergMark Gurman has said that Apple also plans to remove the ability to buy TV shows and movies from the iTunes app as part of a redesign of the TV app, but that hasn’t happened yet.
Emergency alert local awareness
Under Notifications & Emergency Alerts in the Settings app, there is a new “Local Awareness” option that can be enabled. Apple says Local Awareness uses your approximate location to improve the timeliness, accuracy and reliability of emergency alerts.
There are new Details, Daily Forecast and Sunrise/Sunset widgets for the Weather app. Details shows information such as precipitation chance, UV index, wind speed and air quality, while Daily Forecast offers the weather for the next few days in a small widget size. Sunrise/Sunset shows the sunrise and sunset times for each day.
There is a new digital clock widget that can be added to the home screen or lock screen.
Contact Posters
You can now choose rainbow colored text for your name when creating a contact poster in the Contacts app.
Books Page turning animation
There is a new “Quick Fade” option for the page turn animation in the Books app. Apple has also removed the icon that you can turn on to quickly scroll through content.
AirPlay
There is a new “AirPlay Receiver” setting that allows the upcoming Apple Vision Pro headset to stream or share content to an iPhone.
It also looks like the AirPlay feature for hotels that Apple announced earlier this year is live or soon. It is designed to let you AirPlay content from your iPhone or iPad to an AirPlay-equipped smart TV.
Memoji
Apple added a “Body” section for Memoji where users can customize the waist, bust, shoulders and arms.
News App
The News app now supports Live Activities to follow news-related events like elections.
Enhanced warnings for sensitive content
Apple’s sensitive content warning feature is being expanded to include contact posters in the Contacts and Phone apps, as well as stickers in the Messages app. Sensitive content alerts use on-device machine learning to blur photos or videos with potential nudity detected before users see them.
App Store Categories
The “Apps” and “Games” sections of the App Store have a new top bar navigation that lets users scroll through different app categories and explore apps in that category with a tap.
The categories mirror the categories found at the bottom of each App Store section, and it’s a layout that Apple has previously used for Apple Arcade.
The AppleCare+ “Coverage” menu is now in Settings > General rather than Settings > General > About, making it more visible than before. The coverage interface lists AppleCare+ on your device and all paired AirPods.
Siri
Siri in iOS 17.2 can provide information about an estimated time of arrival when turn-by-turn directions are active in the Maps app, and the personal assistant can provide elevation data.
More iOS 17.2 Beta Features
Know of a feature we’ve missed on this list? Let us know in the comments below.
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