iOS 17.2 Released, What's New?

iOS 17.2 has officially been released, bringing with it a plethora of new features and changes. Among the highlights is the official launch of the Journal app, initially introduced by Apple at WWDC. The Journal app allows users to record their daily activities and thoughts, with optional prompts provided by Apple for inspiration. Users can add entries by tapping the plus button in the Journal app, selecting a suggestion as a writing prompt, or creating a new entry from scratch. Entries can include images, voice recordings, and location tags for comprehensive documentation.

In addition to the Journal app, iOS 17.2 introduces a feature in the Messages app where users can long-press on any chat bubble to add a sticker response as an alternative to a tapback reaction. This feature simplifies the process of expressing reactions with stickers or emojis, providing a quicker way to enhance messaging interactions.

For iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max users, iOS 17.2 brings spatial video recording for the upcoming Apple Vision Pro. This feature can be enabled in the settings, under the camera section, allowing users to capture videos in a spatial 3D format for an enhanced viewing experience with Apple Vision Pro.

Another notable addition is the translate option in the action button, accessible by holding down the button. This allows users to bring up a Translate window that listens for spoken text and translates it from one set language to another. The feature utilizes languages previously set up in the Translate app.

Among the quality-of-life improvements are enhanced Focus speeds with the telephoto lens for iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, automatic aggregation of favored songs into a dedicated playlist in Apple Music, and the ability to add favored songs to the music library. Additional settings for Apple Music include a Focus filter for the listening history feature, allowing users to disable listening history when sharing the device for music.

Other minor yet useful features include the ability to disable inline predictions for the keyboard, a catch-up arrow for quickly navigating to the first unread message in a busy group chat, and several more tweaks that contribute to an improved user experience in iOS 17.2.