iOS 17.2 beta: all the new features so far

By Julie Clover

Apple is beta testing iOS 17.2, the second major update to the iOS 17 operating system, released in September. We expect to see a public launch in December, so there are still a few betas left before the software debuts.

This guide includes all the new features in the iOS 17.2 beta, and we will be updating it throughout the beta period.

Journal app

iOS 17.2 includes the Journal app that Apple announced as part of ‌iOS 17‌. With the Journal app, users can record their daily activities and thoughts, and Apple provides additional prompts that can be used as inspiration.

A journal entry can be added by tapping “+.” in the Journal app, and from there, users can choose a sentence as the basis for their writing, or simply select “New Entry” to write whatever they want.

Entries are automatically date-stamped for organizational purposes, but there are also options for creating bookmarks. Log entries can include images, voice recordings, and location tags.

Messages sticker reactions

You can now long press on any chat bubble in the Messages app ” to add a response sticker as an alternative to responding. By clicking “Add Sticker”, you can choose a sticker or emoji to be applied to the corner of the iMessage.

It was already possible to drag a sticker or emoji onto any message bubble, but this is a much faster way to quickly respond to an incoming message with quick graphics that are more expressive than a reply tap response.

Spatial video recording

In iOS 17.2, iPhone 15 Pro and ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max can be used to record spatial video that can be viewed in the Photos app on the Vision Pro headset.

Spatial video can be enabled by going to the Settings app, tapping Camera, selecting Formats, and turning on Spatial Video for Apple Vision Pro. Apple says that for best results when recording spatial video, the iPhone must be held stably in landscape orientation while recording video. Video is recorded at 30 frames per second at 1080p resolution, and one minute of video takes up 130 MB of storage space.

When spatial videos shot on ‌iPhone‌ viewed on ‌iPhone‌, they look like regular videos. A Vision Pro headset is required to view 3D video.

Apple Music Collaborative Playlists

Apple Music now offers the ability to create a playlist that multiple people can add to. In the playlist you've created, tap the three-dot icon in the top right corner 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 who has access to that link will be able to add to it. You can also invite people to join using a QR code and, if you want, you can approve each person who asks to join.

Favorites Apple Music playlist

Songs that you have been added to your favorites in ‌Apple Music‌ apps are now grouped into the Favorites playlist.

Apple Music listening history focus filter

There is a focus filter for ‌Apple Music‌ Listening History Feature: If you want someone else to use your device to listen to music, you can activate it to turn off your listening history so that your song selections don't influence your recommendations.

Translate action button

‌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, holding down causes the ‌iPhone‌ to open a translation window that listens to the spoken text. It can translate from one installed language to another using the languages you have previously configured in the Translator app.

iMessage Contact Key Verification

First, iMessage Contact Key Verification, announced in December 2022, is a feature designed for those facing “extreme digital threats,” such as journalists, human rights activists, and government officials.

Users can ensure that iMessage conversations are not being monitored by a “man in the middle”, and there is also the ability to display a contact verification code so that iMessage users can ensure they are talking to the right person during face-to-face meetings or on FaceTime calls.

Messages in iCloud sync

The Messages section in iCloud in the Settings app has been renamed to Messages in ‌iCloud‌. ” It shows the total storage space occupied by messages, the number of messages synced to ‌iCloud‌, and the time of the last synchronization. There is also a “Sync Now” option that allows you to force an update.

Previously Apple has stated that additional settings will sync across Messages in ‌iCloud‌ in ‌iOS 17‌, such as text message forwarding, send and receive accounts, and SMS filters across devices, so these advanced settings may sync.

Apple TV app

Apple has removed separate tabs for movies and TV shows from the Store section of the Apple TV app on the ‌iPhone‌ and iPad, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple also plans to remove the ability to purchase TV shows and movies from the iTunes app as part of a redesign of the TV app, but this has not yet happened.

Local awareness of emergency alerts

There's a new Local Awareness option in the Notifications & Emergency Alerts section of the Settings app that you can turn on. Apple says Local Awareness uses your approximate location to improve the timeliness, accuracy, and reliability of emergency alerts.

Weather widgets

<р>New widgets “Details”, “Daily Forecast” and “Sunrise/Sunset” have appeared for the “Weather” application. Details display information such as precipitation chance, UV index, wind speed and air quality, while the daily forecast offers weather for the next few days in a small widget size. Sunrise/Sunset Time shows the time of sunrise and sunset for each day.

Digital clock widget

New A digital clock widget that you can add to your home or lock screen.

Contact Posters

Now you can do this by choosing a rainbow color for your name when setting up your contacts poster in the Contacts app.

Page turning animation books

In the Books app, a new “Fast Fade” option has been added for page-turning animation. Apple has also removed the icon that could be enabled to quickly scroll through content.

AirPlay

There's a new “Receiver” setting AirPlay”, which will allow the upcoming ‌Apple Vision Pro‌ headset for streaming or sharing content on your ‌iPhone‌.

It also looks like ‌AirPlay‌ The hotel feature that Apple announced earlier this year is either live or coming soon. It is designed to let you ‌AirPlay‌ content from your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ to a smart TV with AirPlay.

Memoji

Apple has added a Body section to Memoji, where users can customize their waist, bust, shoulders, and arms.

News app

The News app now supports live streaming for tracking news events such as elections.

Expanded Sensitivity Warnings

Apple's Sensitive Content Warnings feature extends to contact posters in the Contacts and Phone apps, as well as stickers in the Messages app. . Sensitive content warnings use on-device machine learning to blur photos or videos with detected nudity before users view them.

Categories App Store

The Apps and Games sections of the App Store have a new top navigation bar that allows users to scroll through different app categories, exploring the apps in that category with a single tap.

Categories reflect the categories that can be found at the bottom of each ‌App Store‌ section, and this is the layout that Apple previously used for Apple Arcade.

AppleCare+ Coverage Menu

The AppleCare+ Coverage menu is now under Settings > General rather than Settings > General > “About” which makes it more visible than before. . The coverage interface shows ‌AppleCare‌+ on your device and all paired AirPods.

Siri

Siri in iOS 17.2 can provide detailed ETA information if the Maps app has turn-by-turn directions active, and the personal assistant can provide the details about height.