iOS 17.2 coming later this year with 10 new features for iPhone

by Joe Rossignol

Last week, Apple released the first beta version of iOS 17.2 to developers and public beta testers. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhone. We've highlighted 10 of these new features and changes below.

iOS 17.2 is coming. will be made public in December. Once the update is available, you can install it in the Settings app under General → Software Update.

Journal app

Apple's new Journal app allows iPhone users to reflect on their day and memories, complete with text, photos, music, audio, and more. The app provides personalized suggestions based on recent device activity.

Translation options for action button

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max feature a custom action button , which replaces the traditional mute switch on previous iPhones. By default, the button is configured to toggle between Ring and Silent modes, but can also be assigned a different action for quick access to the camera, flashlight, voice notes, and more.

Beginning with iOS In version 17.2, the Action button can now be assigned to the Translator app for quick access to language translation in Dynamic Island.

New Widgets

There are new Home Screen and Lock Screen widget options for the Weather and Clock apps on iOS 17.2. New weather options include Daily Forecast, Sunrise and Sunset, and the Clock app now offers a digital clock widget.

Apple Music: Collaborative Playlists

Apple Music's new collaborative playlists feature allows multiple people to add, reorder, and delete songs in a shared playlist.

Apple Music: Playlist of Favorite Songs

In the Music app on iOS 17.1 and later, you can add songs to your favorites by tapping the star icon to get better recommendations.

Starting in iOS 17.2, your favorite songs are also added to the new Favorites folder songs”. playlist.

Apple Music: listening history focus filter

Tired of your kids or anyone else ruining your Apple Music recommendations when they borrow your iPhone to listen to music? iOS 17.2 includes a new Focus filter for Apple Music listening history that solves this problem. If this filter is enabled, choosing another person's song will not affect your recommendations.

iMessage: Checking a Contact Key

Checking a Contact Key in iMessage allows users to who face “extreme digital threats,” such as journalists, human rights activists and government officials, further ensure that they communicate only with the people they are intended to. In conversations between users who have iMessage contact key verification enabled, users are alerted if a state-sponsored attacker or other attacker ever manages to hack the cloud servers and connect their own device to eavesdrop on the conversation.

As an added layer of security iMessage Contact Key Verification users can compare a contact verification code in person, over FaceTime, or through another secure call to further ensure they're only communicating with the person they want.

Apple announced iMessage Contact Key Verification in December 2022 and is finally launching as part of iOS 17.2.