Features in iOS 18.2 for all Apple devices

Many who do not own iPhone 15 Pro or later do not find anything new in the iOS 18.2 update, because the update came with a set of features and improvements that focus mostly on artificial intelligence. But there are many features that are suitable for all Apple devices. We have mentioned some of the iOS 18.2 updates that you can view through this - Link - Here are more of these exciting features, don't miss them, so you can get the most out of the iPhone in your hands.

 Control video autoplay in Photos app

The Photos app has added a new feature to control video playback: the “Loop Videos” option that allows users to control the automatic repetitive playback of videos. This new option complements the “Auto-Play Motion” feature that controls the playback of videos and Live Photos when opening collections and albums. Users can find this option through: Settings > Apps > Photos. Thus, you can easily turn on or off the automatic repetition of videos as per your preference.

Image collection improvements

Improvements have been made to the Photos app when navigating through collections. Here are some of the changes you'll notice on iPhone:

◉ The close button (X) on the right side has now been transformed into a back button (<).

◉ The number of items in the group is displayed under the group name, accompanied by the group icon.

◉ You can now return to the previous view by swiping right on the screen.

These improvements are intended to make navigating the Photos app easier for users.

Favorites in Utilities and Pinned Groups in Photos

You can now find the Favorites album in the Pinned Collections group as well as in the Widgets folder, making it easier for you to access your favorite photos and videos.

Clear recently viewed or shared albums in Photos

To do this:

◉ Open any of the albums, then tap the More button (•••).

◉ Choose “Remove All from Recently Viewed” or “Remove All from Recently Viewed”

◉ Confirm the action.

New Dark Mode Icons in Settings

The icons in the Settings app for iPhone and iPad have changed. Previously, the icons had a colored background with white graphics. Now the backgrounds are black with colored graphics to prevent visual distraction.

Smart Categories in Email App

The email app has added a smart message sorting feature, which automatically organizes your messages into four main categories: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions.

An additional smart feature is that urgent and important messages from the Transactions, Updates and Promotions categories appear in the Priority section. This helps you focus on the most important messages.

For those who want the traditional experience, you can switch from category view to list view for a similar experience.

Summary offers in the email app

The email app now groups multiple messages from the same sender into transactional, update, and promotional categories into digest views or unified bundles for easier browsing. Features of digest views include:

◉ It displays the total number of messages from one sender.

◉ Shows the total number of messages in the current smart category.

◉ Announces the number of new messages.

◉ You can click on message statistics to view “all messages”.

The More menu (•••) allows you to:

◉ Quickly mark all messages as read.

◉ Delete all messages at once.

◉ Reclassify the sender from “Automatic” to a specific category.

Maximum volume control

There is a new setting to control the volume of your device’s built-in stereo speakers. This new setting aims to address several common issues such as:

◉ Protection from audio surprises.

◉ Prevent loud scenes in movies from making sudden loud noises.

◉ Avoid annoying auto-start videos that may wake sleeping children or disturb others.

◉ Prevent music from playing loudly unintentionally.

◉ It also protects iPhone headphones from premature damage.

◉ As well as maintaining the quality and performance of the headphones in the long term.

Show volume controls on lock screen

You can now force the volume control bar on the Lock screen to always be visible when adjusting volume levels. This option works with both the iPhone speaker and the earpiece. You can change this option in Settings > Accessibility > Audio and Visual > Always Show Volume Control.

New Safari Wallpapers

You can now customize the background image for your Safari start page. To find the new backgrounds, open the Safari start page, scroll down to the bottom, tap Edit, and explore the updated Background image section. You can choose a new background image to add a personal touch to your start page.

Import and export browsing history in Safari

In Settings > Apps > Safari, you'll find new options under the “Location History and Location Data” section:

◉ “Import”: You can import browsing data from another browser to Safari.

◉ “Export”: Allows you to export your browsing history and website data from Safari to another browser.

This new feature makes it easier to transfer data between browsers and provides users with flexibility in managing their browsing history.

Insecure Connection Warnings and HTTPS Priority

Safari has added a new setting for “Insecure Connection Warning,” which is off by default. When turned on, Safari will warn you when you visit websites without a valid SSL certificate, providing additional protection when browsing, and advising against entering credentials or sensitive information on unsecured sites.

Apple has added a new feature called “HTTPS Priority” to Safari, where the browser automatically upgrades URLs from HTTP to HTTPS whenever possible, and aims to make browsing more secure. This is independent of the Not Secure Connection Warning setting.

These improvements are intended to provide a safer browsing experience for users.

Live activity in Safari

In Safari, when you download a file, you'll see live activity for it in the Dynamic Island or on your Home screen showing the download progress.

Customizable menu in TV app

Apple has added a new feature that allows users to customize the tab bar in the TV app through the navigation sidebar. As for customization, there are some limitations and advantages:

◉ Options already in the menu cannot be removed.

◉ You can add specific channels, apps, and library sections like “Recent Purchases,” “Downloads,” and “4K HDR.”

◉ Customization is easy by dragging and dropping into the editing view.

This feature gives users more flexibility to arrange the app interface to suit their personal preferences, making the TV app experience more comfortable and convenient.

Control Siri by typing

Apple has added a new option in Control Center for the “Write to Siri” feature. This addition aims to help users who have difficulty activating the feature by double-tapping the bottom screen bar on the iPhone. The features of this new option include:

◉ Ability to add feature control to Control Center.

◉ Flexibility in the size of the control space (one, two or four squares).

◉ Quick fix for issues users may encounter when using the “Write to Siri” feature.

This option provides an alternative and easy way to interact with Siri for people who prefer to type or need an alternative method of control.

Multilayer recordings in the audio recording app

Apple has introduced an interesting new feature in the Voice Memos app, which will be available on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. Here's how to use multi-layer recordings:

◉ First recording: You can start by recording a specific audio clip or rhythm.

◉ Second recording: You can record another audio layer over the first recording.

◉ The app will play the first layer through the speakers while recording the second layer.

Additional features of multi-layer recordings:

◉ Currently, you can only merge two layers.

◉ The project can be imported directly into Logic Pro.

◉ Multi-layer recordings will appear with a special icon in the recordings list.

◉ Ability to save the current project or as a new project.

◉ Control the balance of layers by the slide bar.

Important: Multi-layer recordings will not appear on other iCloud-connected devices until you update to the latest version.

Disable game preview in Apple Arcade

When viewing certain Apple Arcade pages in the App Store, you can now disable “Game Previews” via the Filter button to see more games on screen at once.

New shortcut actions in the Fitness app

Apple has added a new set of actions to the Shortcuts app linked to the Fitness app. These new actions provide more flexibility in interacting with the Fitness app. The available actions include:

◉ Unlock Prize: Open the fitness app to a specific prize.

◉ Open Fitness Settings: Directly access a specific section in the app settings.

◉ Open session log: View activity log categorized by activity type.

◉ Open Trends: Go directly to the Fitness Trends page.

◉ Open Trophy Cabinet: View all trophies of a specific type.

◉ Open View: Open the fitness summary on a specific view.

◉ Search Fitness+: Search for Fitness+ content within the app.

These new features enhance customization and quick access to different sections of the Fitness app through the Shortcuts app.

Dynamic Island Traffic Signals

Apple has added a new improvement to the Vehicle Motion Cues feature, which helps alleviate motion sickness symptoms when using the iPhone in cars. Instead of appearing as a regular banner, alerts will now appear in the dynamic island area on the iPhone.

Mirror iPhone screen when connected to hotspot

Apple has introduced a new improvement to the iPhone screen mirroring feature in iOS 18.2. Previously, there was a restriction that prevented screen mirroring when the Mac was connected to the iPhone's hotspot. But with the new updates, users can now mirror the iPhone screen even when using the hotspot.

Use Face ID to trust a device

When you connected your iPhone or iPad to a Mac or PC, you had to enter your passcode to trust the device. Now, you can use Face ID or Touch ID instead.

EU Updates

In compliance with EU regulations, Apple has provided a set of special updates for users in EU countries in iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2, including:

◉ You can delete essential apps like App Store, Camera, Photos, Messages, Safari.

◉ Support for alternative browsers, where third-party browsers can create home screen web applications using their own engines.

◉ You can also choose the default browser. When Safari is opened for the first time, the user will be asked to choose the default browser.

These changes come in implementation of the Digital Markets Act, which aims to increase competition and choice for users in the European Union.

Expanding Ear Health Benefits to Additional Countries

In iOS 18.2, Apple has expanded the ear health features on AirPods Pro 2, namely the hearing test feature, to include a new set of countries: Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

The hearing assistance feature has been added in the UAE.

Bug fixes in iOS 18.2

Apple has announced some bug fixes in iOS 18.2. There are likely other improvements behind the scenes that haven't been mentioned, as Apple doesn't highlight every little detail.

Fixed an issue that caused newly captured photos not to appear immediately in the “All Photos” grid.

Fixes an issue with Night Mode photos in the Camera app that may appear lower quality when taking photos with long exposure times on iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max.

As usual, Apple has released some fixes that address the security vulnerabilities. 20 security issues have been specifically addressed. If you want more details, you can visit Apple website See the full list of fixes and improvements.

Source:

ios. gadgethacks