Apple has released iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 to all users and they contain a huge number of new features and changes. The Journal app is finally available, alongside a selection of new widgets for Weather and Clock apps. The Music app has received further enhancements, while other apps like Notes, Messages, Books and others have also received updates.
What’s new in iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2?
Final Release
December 11 – Apple has released the final software update for all compatible iPhone and iPad models. Here are the release notes:
Journal
- Journal is a new app that lets you write about the small moments and big events in your life so you can practice gratitude and improve your wellbeing
- 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 people facing extraordinary digital threats are messaging only with the people they intend
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 forecasted wind conditions for the next 24 hours
- Interactive moon calendar lets you easily visualize the phase of the moon on any day for the next month
This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes:
- Siri support for privately accessing and logging Health app data using your voice
- AirDrop improvements including expanded contact sharing options and the ability to share boarding passes, movie tickets, and other eligible passes by bringing two iPhones together
- Favorite Songs Playlist in Apple Music lets you quickly get back to the songs you mark as favorites
- 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 models and iPhone 14 models
- Fixes an issue that may prevent wireless charging in certain vehicles
Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
Release Candidate
December 5 – Apple has seeded the RC builds to developers.
Beta 4
Nov 28 – Apple has released the fourth developer beta updates.
Beta 3
Nov 14 – Apple has released the third developer beta updates.
Beta 2
Nov 9 – Apple has released the second developer beta to testers. The update brings support for Spatial Video recording to iPhone 15 Pro. These are videos that will work on Apple Vision Pro.
Beta 1
Oct 26 – Apple released the first developer beta to testers. The update features the following new features and changes:
- Journal app
- Translate option for Action button on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Focus filter for Music
- New widgets for Clock and Weather apps
- Collaborative playlists in Music app
- “Fast Fade” page turning option in Books app
- Rainbow color option for text in contact posters
Check out our coverage of all the new features in iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 beta updates.
Can you install iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 on your iPhone or iPad?
If you were able to install iOS 17/iPadOS 17 on your devices, your device is compatible with the new beta updates. Here is the list of compatible devices:
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone XR
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- iPhone SE (3rd generation)
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro (6th-gen, 5th-gen, 4th-gen, 3rd-gen, 2nd-gen)
- 11-inch iPad Pro (4th-gen, 3rd-gen, 2nd-gen, 1st-gen)
- 10.5-inch iPad Pro
- 9.7-inch iPad Pro
- iPad (6th-gen, 7th-gen, 8th-gen, 9th-gen, 10th-gen)
- iPad Air (3rd-gen, 4th-gen, 5th-gen)
- iPad mini (5th-gen, 6th-gen)
How to upgrade your iPhone or iPad to iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2?
To install the developer beta update, you will need an Apple Developer Account which usually costs $99/year. If you sign in with the same account on your iPhone or iPad, you should see the option to switch to the developer beta when you go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates.
Alternatively, you can wait for the public beta, which is available for free.
No matter which beta you want to install, here are the steps you should follow:
- Make sure your device is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network.
- Do a complete iCloud backup of your device.
- Charge your device to at least 50% battery capacity.
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
- Tap Download and Install.
- Enter your passcode or use Face ID or Touch ID to authenticate.
- Your device will download and install the update. This may take some time.
- Once the update is complete, your device will restart.
