It’s been a busy year for Apple with the debut of the iPhone 15 Pro and the latest MacBooks, but it still has one more in store before the year is over — we’re talking about iOS 17.2.
The latest iOS may not be as exciting as the Space Black MacBooks, but that shouldn’t stop you from being hyped for some new software features. We’re already at the fourth developer beta for iOS 17.2, so we have a good idea of what Apple has in store.
Here are six features that you should try out for yourself when iOS 17.2 arrives.
1. CHANGING YOUR DEFAULT NOTIFICATION SOUND
Ever since iOS 17 came out earlier this year, many have been wondering why Apple inexplicably changed the default notification sound away from the classic “Tri-Tone” to the barely audible “Rebound.” Well, at least Apple seems to be listening since it’s giving us the option to switch your default notification sound to whatever we want. You can also change up how your haptics feel, so even if you don’t hear the notification, you’ll at least feel the rumble.
2. APPLE MUSIC COLLABORATIVE PLAYLISTS
If you’re an Apple Music subscriber, you’ll soon be able to make collaborative playlists with your friends and family. This feature showed up in iOS 17.2’s first developer beta but has since disappeared in the latest fourth beta. We’re hoping it comes back by the time Apple drops its latest iOS update. If not, Spotify has been doing the same thing since 2020.
3. JOURNAL APP
Apple is taking on all the third-party journaling options out there with its own app. Like the competition, you can insert pictures, videos, and other media into your text. Apple’s Journal app separates itself by reaching into your personal data and suggesting prompts based on that info, whether that’s a song you recently listened to or a photo you took earlier in the day. It’s a little creepy for sure, but it might help you with your daily journaling.
4. LIVE STICKER REACTIONS
Live Stickers have been around since the release of iOS 17, but Apple is taking it up a notch by letting us react to messages with our custom stickers. When you long press to react to a message, you’ll see an option to “Add Sticker” instead, where you can draw from your personalized library.
5. TRANSLATE FEATURE FOR ACTION BUTTON
The iPhone 15 Pro’s defining feature has already seen a ton of different use cases, whether it’s just used to pull up the camera or completely replace Siri with ChatGPT. With iOS 17.2, Apple is adding native Translate functionality to the button where you can press and hold and then say something in English to have it automatically translated. The Action Button’s Translate feature can spit out text, but it can also read out your translation.
6. RECORDING SPATIAL VIDEO
The Apple Vision Pro may not be out yet, but you will get the ability to record Spatial Video on iOS 17.2 just a few months prior to the headset’s release. Unfortunately, you can only record this trippy 3D-esque video with the iPhone 15 Pro so it’s an expensive feature, to say the least. Still, the result is something akin to reliving a memory instead of just a flat static photo.
