Everything That’s New in iOS 17.2

Apple Journal Is Finally Here

One of the biggest changes with iOS 17.2 is the addition of a brand new Apple called Journal. Apple talked about this app earlier this year, and it said it would hit our iPhones just before the end of 2023.

Fortunately, Apple managed to keep its promise, and now you can journal away to your heart's content.

As you can expect from an app named Journal, you can use it to write about anything you want. You can keep track of your digital journal, jot down quick notes, or focus on what makes you feel happy and grateful.

If you feel that's a lot of personal information to have on your iPhone, no worries; you can lock your Journal app behind Face ID or Touch ID, so you're the only one with access to it.

Just like other first-party apps, Apple Journal also makes use of iCloud. Unfortunately, since the Journal app isn't available on other Apple devices yet, you won't be able to access your notes on other platforms. However, your notes will stay protected in the cloud with secure end-to-end encryption, and in case you lose your iPhone, you'll be able to recover them pretty easily.

New Widgets Are Available

Alongside new apps, there are also new widgets available for you to add to your iPhone's Home Screen. Granted, there aren't many new widgets to choose from, but they're surely useful.

First, there are a few new widgets from Apple's Weather app. Now, instead of just being able to check the current weather, you can also get a forecast for the rest of the day.

If you want more data, you can get more specific details like the sunset and sunrise times or specific details like the UV index, air quality index (AQI), and precipitation.

Additionally, there's a new digital clock widget. There's not much to say about it other than it's a cool-looking clock that marks the seconds going around the widget.

iOS 17.2 Fixes Two Major Issues

Along with the new features, iOS 17.2 is also fixing some bugs that were affecting many iPhone users.

For starters, iOS 17.2 fixes the bug that didn't let you charge your iPhone in some vehicles charging pads. Most notably, some GM vehicles couldn't wirelessly charge an iPhone for no apparent reason.

Second, there was another issue that wouldn't let other third-party devices connect to your iPhone when you used it as a hotspot.

Fortunately, both of these features should be fixed by now. If you were hit by any of these issues, be sure to update your iPhone ASAP.

The Action Button Gets More Useful

Apple's newest feature, the Action button, has proved to be a useful addition to the iPhone 15 Pro lineup. This little button came to replace the ring/silent switch and added some new quick actions you can do at the literal push of a button.

Now, with iOS 17.2, Apple has added a cool new action that lets you translate anything your iPhone hears live.

All you need to do is press the Action button on your iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, and your iPhone will start to listen to any conversation you're having. You'll be able to see what the person said and get a translation to any language you want immediately.

Spatial Video Is Finally Here

Are you planning on getting the Apple Vision Pro next year? Well, then, you might as well start collecting some unique memories with Spatial Video.

Spatial Video was first introduced in September when Apple announced the iPhone 15 lineup. This feature lets you use the cameras on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max to shoot a video in 3D.

This is meant to give you a more immersive experience when watching videos from a family vacation or a fond memory you recorded. And where will you be able to watch this video? Well, your iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max will still play it like a normal video, and you can share it that way with any other device, but you'll get a fully immersive 3D experience if you watch it on the upcoming Apple Vision Pro.

Speaking of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro cameras, iOS 17.2 also brought some improvements to the telephoto camera. Now, you can take pictures faster when the subject is far away.

The Messages App Has Some New Features, Too

The Messages app also has a few new features, albeit one of them might not be for everyone.

The first one is a new catch-up arrow that will let you catch up with older messages. When you tap it, you can go up to your unread messages and start reading from where you left off. You can also now easily add stickers as reactions to messages by selecting Add Sticker from the pop-up menu that appears when you tap and hold on a message bubble.

The Contact Key Verification feature is also now available. This feature is meant to help high-profile individuals like politicians or reporters be sure they're talking to the right people and that their messages aren't being intercepted. This feature gives you a Contact Verification Code to help you verify you're actually talking to the actual person you want to. You'll also get notifications if a third party tries to enter a private conversation.

Besides these two big features, there's also a new option to quickly add a sticker before sending a message and the ability to adjust the body shape of any of your Memoji.

The Weather App Brings a Few New Features As Well

Another app that's getting a couple of improvements is Apple's very own Weather app.

The app brings a couple of new features, like the widgets we previously mentioned. You can get more detailed information like a daily forecast, sunset and sunrise times, precipitation, air quality, and wind speed — all of that right on your Home Screen.

Additionally, the Weather app comes with a new wind map that lets you check for wind patterns and conditions for the next 24 hours, and there's a new moon calendar you can play around with. This calendar lets you check the phase of the moon on pretty much any day for the next month.

You Can Now AirDrop More Things 

AirDrop has always been one of Apple's best features, and with iOS 17.2, it just got even better.

Apple made a few improvements to AirDrop, and now you can share more than just a few files. For starters, you can now share boarding passes, movie tickets, and other specific passes. 

There are also more options when sharing contacts via AirDrop. Yes, there has been a debate on whether or not Apple's NameDrop is a security risk, but we can assure you it's pretty reliable to use. So update to iOS 17.2, and make the most of it.

Sensitive Content Warnings Now Work With Stickers

Apple's Sensitive Content Warning feature isn't anything new. Under the name of Communication Safety, Apple introduced this capability a few years back to help protect kids from seeing unsolicited nude content.

While the original feature was strictly for kids under the supervision o a Family Sharing group, Apple expanded it to Sensitive Content Warnings in iOS 17 to allow anyone to take advantage of it. This originally worked with images and videos, but now iOS 17.2 takes it one step further.

Now, this feature also works with stickers. That way, if you get a sticker of a nude person or something similar, the content will be hidden, and your iPhone will let you know what it may be before actually seeing it.

Advanced Autofill Now Works Properly

Advanced Autofill was a feature that Apple introduced with iOS 17, but it's been improved with iOS 17.2. While before it didn't always work, now it should be working properly.

What Advanced Autofill does is help you fill PDF files and other forms with data you have in your contacts. So, for instance, by tapping the space for your name in a form or PDF file, your iPhone will suggest your name so you don't have to write it. The same goes for other data like your phone number, your address, or your country.