December 12 update below. This post was first published on December 11, 2023.
Forbes senior contributor Kate O’Flaherty has now set out the details of the security ramifications of iOS 17.2. Read her analysis here.
If it feels like it was just days since you updated your iPhone, well, that’s because it was. The unexpected iOS 17.1.2 iPhone update appeared on Thursday, November 30, 2023. Less than two weeks later, here’s the next release, warning all users to update now.
This update, iOS 17.2, was not a surprise as it’s been going through beta releases, but there was still an element of the unexpected: it arrived a day sooner than many were expecting.
Apple iOS 17.2 has just landed.
Apple
Here’s what’s in it—and it’s pretty jam-packed—plus how you can get it straight away.
Which iPhones Can Run iOS 17.2?
Like all the releases since the arrival of iOS 17 back in September, this new update is compatible with all iPhones released in 2018 or after. That means iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max and iPhone XR from 2018, then iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, plus all the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 variants. It also includes iPhone SE second- and third-generation models.
How To Get It
Open the iPhone’s Settings app, click on General, then Software Update. Here, you’ll see sections on Automatic Updates, and Beta Updates. Whether you have automatic updates on or off, you can choose to download the new software now. Pick Download and Install, and your iPhone will be good to go in no time.
What’s In The Release
Unlike the last couple of updates, which were all about bug fixes and security measures, iOS 17.2 has lots of new features as well as the customary bug-squishing effects. Chief among these is the new Journal app which helps you to write about the stuff that’s happening to you. It’s designed to help improve your wellbeing and is stunningly integrated into the iPhone, all securely encrypted to your private entries stay for your eyes only.
Talking of integration, with this release Apple has added the capability to shoot video in a particular way that will integrate with Apple’s next big product category, the Apple Vision Pro headset. With this update you can shoot spatial video on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. These videos will play back in 3D on the headset—I’ve seen these videos on the headset and they look amazing—but just regular 2D on the iPhone.
Also on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max only, there’s a new shortcut for the Action button which replaced the Mute/Ring slider of previous iPhones. You can now set it to Translate, making it easy to have conversations in foreign languages without even having to open an app.
There are improvements to Messages, including body shape customization in your Memoji, stickers to add to messages as reactions, and security improvements to protect against spyware. Typing messages, or anything else, is updated so you can turn off predictions inline, although personally I love that feature.
There are enhancements to AirDrop. Similar to NameDrop (which is entirely secure, despite the furore that arose last week about it), you can now share boarding passes or movie tickets just by bringing two iPhones together. There’s also Qi2 charger support for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14, which haven’t had it until now.
Default notifications sounds can be customized to a greater degree—something previously restricted to texts, mail and calendar alerts.
With big new features like Journal and so many smaller details, this is a big update.
Apple’s notes follow.
Journal
- Journal is a new app that lets you write about the small moments and big events in your life so you can practise gratitude and improve your well-being
- Journaling suggestions make it easy to remember your experiences by intelligently grouping your outings, photos, workouts and more into moments you can add to your journal
- Filters let you quickly find bookmarked entries or show entries with attachments so you can revisit and reflect on key moments in your life
- Scheduled notifications help you keep a consistent journaling practice by reminding you to write on the days and time you choose
- Option to lock your journal using Touch ID or Face ID
- iCloud sync keeps your journal entries safe and encrypted on iCloud
Action Button
- Translate option for the Action button on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max to quickly translate phrases or have a conversation with someone in another language
Camera
- Spatial video lets you capture video on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max so you can relive your memories in three dimensions on Apple Vision Pro
- Improved Telephoto camera focusing speed when capturing small, faraway objects on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
Messages
- Catch-up arrow lets you easily jump to your first unread message in a conversation by tapping the arrow visible in the top-right corner
- Add sticker option in the context menu lets you add a sticker directly to a bubble
- Memoji updates include the ability to adjust the body shape of any Memoji
- Contact Key Verification provides automatic alerts and Contact Verification Codes to help verify that people facing extraordinary digital threats are messaging only with the people they intend to
Weather
- Precipitation amounts help you stay on top of rain and snow conditions for a given day over the next 10 days
- New widgets let you choose from next-hour precipitation, daily forecast, sunrise and sunset times, and current conditions such as Air Quality, Feels Like and wind speed
- Wind map snapshot helps you quickly assess wind patterns and access the animated wind map overlay to prepare for forecast wind conditions for the next 24 hours
- Interactive moon calendar lets you easily visualise the phase of the moon on any day for the next month
This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes:
- AirDrop improvements including expanded contact sharing options and the ability to share boarding passes, cinema tickets and other eligible passes by bringing two iPhones together
- Favourite Songs Playlist in Apple Music lets you quickly get back to the songs you mark as favourites
- Use Listening History in Apple Music can be disabled in a Focus so music you listen to does not appear in Recently Played or influence your recommendations
- A new Digital Clock Widget lets you quickly catch a glimpse of the time on your Home Screen and while in StandBy
- Enhanced AutoFill identifies fields in PDFs and other forms, enabling you to populate them with information such as names and addresses from your contacts
- New keyboard layouts provide support for 8 Sámi languages
- Sensitive Content Warning for stickers in Messages prevents you from being unexpectedly shown a sticker containing nudity
- Qi2 charger support for all iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models
- Fixes an issue that may prevent wireless charging in certain vehicles
December 12 update. Alongside the release of the update, Apple has set out lots more details about spatial video capture on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
In a Newsroom post, Apple specifies how the two latest Pro handsets are now capable of recording spatial videos, describing it as “a groundbreaking new capability that helps users capture life’s precious moments” and watch them back on the Apple Vision Pro when it’s released next year. Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide Marketing, Greg Joswiak, describes these videos as “magical.” Although Apple, like most companies, can tend towards hyperbole, I’d say there is something really extraordinary about these videos, which I saw in a demonstration of the Vision Pro some months ago. They have a wow factor which, I suspect, will lead some potential customers to reach for their credit cards as soon as they’ve seen them.
Apple has more details of how the recording will work, explaining that they are captured at 1080p resolution, at a frame rate of 30 frames per second, and with standard dynamic range. The 3D effect, which is highly compelling when you see the videos played back on a Vision Pro, is created by shooting video on two of the iPhone’s cameras at the same time, the Main and Ultra Wide lenses.
How the iPhone 15 Pro captures spatial video.
Apple
This is clever: the two cameras have different focal lengths and sensors with different resolutions—48 megapixels on the Main camera, 12 megapixels on the Ultra Wide. Combining them into one video is complex and achieved when the iPhone “scales the field of view from the Ultra Wide camera to match that of the Main camera, which is then saved into a single video file.”
As mentioned above, if you play back these files on the iPhone or iPad, say, then you’ll just see a regular 2D video. This has less wow factor but adds to the compatibility for playback. On the Vision Pro, remember, they will appear to be life-sized, appearing either as a large window or an immersive environment that largely surrounds the user.
Apple sees this as a way of recording your memories. Well, all photos and videos do that, but this is an all-encompassing, spectacular way to see your memories again.
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Brendan Martin is a tech enthusiast with a deep understanding of the latest technological innovations. He explores the intersection of science and technology, providing readers with insights into the digital revolution. When not immersed in the world of gadgets and code, Brendan enjoys experimenting with DIY tech projects.
