The first developer beta of iOS 18.2 is here, and it brings the much-awaited second wave of Apple Intelligence features for testing purposes. Finally, Genmoji, Image Playground, ChatGPT integration, and iPhone 16 Visual Intelligence are available for the first time. Starting today, October 23, the first developer betas of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 are available now for the registered members of the Apple Beta Software Program.
New Apple Intelligence Features in iOS 18.2
The iOS 18.2 beta update includes AI-powered image generation tools like Image Playground and Genmoji. Also, it brings the much-awaited ChatGPT integration in Siri and Writing Tools. In addition, the iOS 18.2 beta brings more powerful Writing Tools with the ‘Describe your change’ text field. Here’s what to expect in iOS 18.2:
- ChatGPT Integration with Siri: For complex queries, Siri will seek your permission to interact with ChatGPT to fetch responses for you. Apple has integrated ChatGPT into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. That means ChatGPT will be a system-wide feature that you can access via Siri, Writing Tools, and many other first-party apps.
- Genmoji: Impresses everyone at WWDC 2024, Apple’s AI-powered emoji creation feature is finally available to try in the iOS 18.2 developer beta. With Genmoji, you can create custom emojis for any occasion using Apple Intelligence. Provide a simple description like “smiley relaxing wearing cucumbers”, and your iPhone will generate a super cool emoji for you.
- Image Playground: With a dedicated Image Playground app, users can generate fun and original AI images using prompts. You can enter a custom description or use the built-in suggestions by Apple. You can also create characters that resemble your family or friends. For instance, turn your Mom into a superwoman.
- Visual Intelligence on iPhone 16: Visual Intelligence is an iPhone 16 exclusive feature that lets you use the Camera Control button and on-device intelligence to discover more about your surroundings. For instance, if you point the camera to a restaurant, your iPhone will bring details like open hours, ratings, menu, and more.
- Writing Tools: iOS 18.2 makes the Writing Tools feature more powerful with the ability to make more open-ended changes. The iOS 18.1 update allowed you to change the tone of the content to be friendly, professional, or simpler. With iOS 18.2, you will get more control over the generated text.
- Support for more languages: In addition to U.S. English, Apple Intelligence now supports localized English in the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Availability and Compatibility
As of now, iOS 18.2 is only available to developers with a compatible device. Apple Intelligence requires an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any model of the iPhone 16 series. The new iPadOS 18.2 and macOS Sequoia 15.2 require an iPad or Mac with M-series chipset. While there’s no official statement on the release of the stable iOS 18.2 version, it should arrive before the end of the year.
Apple is still working on fine-tuning the Apple Intelligence features available in iOS 18.1 and iOS 18.2. Since these Apple Intelligence features are in beta and not close to final, they might have bugs, slowdowns, and other issues. So, it’s not recommended to install these updates on your primary devices.
Beyond iOS 18.2, there are several other Apple Intelligence features that are still in the pipeline. That includes in-app actions and personal context awareness for Siri, and new AI-powered priority notifications on the iPhone lock screen. We expect these features to arrive by early 2025.
