Ahead of iOS 18.1’s release next week, Apple is already seeding the first developer’s beta of iOS 18.2. This upcoming software update is packed with several Apple Intelligence features and is expected to be available to all users later this year.
These are the top features available with iOS 18.2 beta 1:
- Image Playground: Users can create playful images in seconds, choosing from Animation, Illustration, or Sketch. This app is built right into apps like Messages and is also available in a dedicated app;
- Genmoji: Create custom emojis by combining two figures; users can type a prompt like “monkey with pink hat” to make an entirely new emoji; here’s how to use it;
- ChatGPT integration: When you feel Apple Intelligence isn’t enough, you can allow ChatGPT to access Writing Tools and other features for a better response.
For iPhone 16 users, iOS 18.2 beta 1 also unlocks new capabilities for Camera Control. Visual Intelligence helps users learn about objects and places faster than ever. Users can click and hold Camera Control to pull up the hours or ratings for a restaurant they pass, add an event from a flyer to their calendar, quickly identify a dog by breed, and more.
Despite these Apple Intelligence features, it’s unclear what else Apple is tweaking with the latest developer’s beta. With iOS 18.1, Apple brings the first AI functions to iPhone 15 Pro or newer devices, such as:
- Writing Tools: Proofread your text, rewrite different versions until the tone and wording are right, and summarize the selected text with a tap.
- Improved Siri: With a new design, Siri can maintain context between requests. Even if you stumble over words or shift what you’re saying mid-sentence, Siri can understand what you actually want.
- Priority notifications: They appear at the top of the stack, letting you know what to pay attention to at a glance. Notifications are summarized, so you can scan them faster.
- Clean Up: This feature can identify and remove distracting objects in the background of a photo without accidentally altering the subject.
- Summarization: Apple Intelligence can now summarize more than just Messages and Mail notifications.
Alongside iOS 18.2 beta 1 to developers, Apple is seeding the first test versions of iPadOS 18.2 and macOS Sequoia 15.2.
