Top 5 iOS 17.2 features that'll change your iPhone experience
Apple's latest iOS 17.2 update is now available for iPhone users, offering exciting new features like the Journal app and Spatial video capture for iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. The update also enhances existing features such as AirDrop and Messages, while bringing support for Qi2 wireless charging on the iPhone 13 and 14 series. To install the update, navigate to Settings >General >Software Update and follow the on-screen instructions to install the firmware.
Journal app
The new health-focused Journal app, initially unveiled at WWDC in June, allows users to log daily activities and thoughts. You can group "outings, photos, workouts into moments," notes Apple. The app will offer prompts based on data in your phone, like exercise activity, media, and locations. The in-app filters help you find bookmarked entries. The app also lets you schedule reminders and all entries will be synced to iCloud. You can lock the app using Face ID or Touch ID.
Spatial video capture
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max users can now record spatial videos with iOS 17.2, which can be viewed in 3D using Apple's Vision Pro mixed reality headset coming out next year. Spatial videos can also be accessed from the Photos app as normal videos. The update also enhances focusing speed and accuracy for telephoto sensors when capturing distant objects.
Qi2 wireless charging support
With the latest update, iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models now support the next-gen wireless charging standard, Qi2. Qi2 standard offers fast, reliable, MagSafe-like wireless charging for various devices, including Android. The new standard adds a ring of magnets to the Qi wireless charging standard to provide enhanced magnetic alignment and faster charging speeds of up to 15W. The latest iPhone 15 series of smartphones already supports Qi2 standard.
Messages app updates
The Messages app now has a catch-up button that lets you jump to the first unread message in a conversation by clicking the arrow present at the top-right corner. Contact Key Verification is a security feature meant for those facing digital threats. The feature provides automatic alerts that help users confirm that they're communicating with the intended person. Users can generate unique codes that can be compared with contacts to further verify each other's identities.
Action button gains a translation feature
One of the key features of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Max is the Action button, which replaces the mute toggle available on iPhone 15, 15 Plus, and older iPhone models. The Action button can be customized to perform several functions, including launching the camera app, enabling mute, activating Focus mode, and so on. The latest update now adds a translation function for quick translations, enabling conversations in another language.
Other highlights of iOS 17.2
iOS 17.2 brings an updated Weather widget that lets you view the precipitation rates, daily forecasts, sunrise/sunset times, and current conditions such as Air Quality, and so on. There's also a new Digital Clock widget, along with AirDrop improvements and Memoji updates. Siri can access Health app data using voice commands. The update also brings an improved AutoFill feature and new keyboard layout support for eight Sami languages.
