Discover the Hidden Gems of iOS 18.2 for Your iPhone

iOS 18.2 Photos

In iOS 18.2, Photos undergoes significant transformations. One of the most notable changes is the full-screen video playback feature. No longer do you need to tap on the video to switch to full screen; it's now seamless. Additionally, scrubbing frame-by-frame while watching videos has become a breeze by pressing and holding on the slider and dragging it back and forth. There are also cosmetic changes, like the appearance of a Favorites album in the Utilities section and a new swipe behavior when looking at Collections. Deleting images from the Recently Viewed and Recently Shared folders, as well as re-ordering albums in alphabetical order, are now easily achievable tasks.

These changes give iPhone users more control and a more intuitive experience when it comes to managing their photos. It's a step forward in enhancing the overall Photos app functionality.

iOS 18.2 Mail

iOS 18.2 introduces a new organizational layout in Mail, splitting the inbox into different categories such as Primary, Transactions (for receipts), Updates (for newsletters), and Promotions (for e-commerce and sales promos). While this new look may take some getting used to, it offers a more organized way to manage emails. However, some users might find it challenging to determine when new mail arrives in different folders, and managing older emails from the same sender can be more difficult.

Thankfully, the More button in the upper right corner provides an option to revert to the familiar list view with a single inbox. Additionally, in the shipping version of iOS 18.2, there's an added option to disable Group by Sender, which addresses the issue of difficulty in deleting individual messages while keeping relevant ones.

iOS 18.2 Safari

Safari in iOS 18.2 comes with several improvements. URLs are now upgraded to HTTPS wherever possible, providing enhanced security. The browser also warns you when a website doesn't have a valid SSL certificate for an encrypted connection. There are new options for start page background images, accessible by hitting Edit at the bottom. Import and Export controls allow for seamless movement of browsing data between Safari and other browsers.

When downloading a file in Safari, you can now track the progress in the Dynamic Island area if your iPhone supports it. Although the download indicator may appear and disappear quickly for speedy downloads, it's still a useful addition.

iOS 18.2 Apple Music, TV and Podcasts

As part of Apple Intelligence, the Photos app's natural language search capability now extends to the Music and TV apps. You can search for specific content like "Coen Brothers movies from the 1990s" and get relevant results. In Podcasts, you can designate your favorite genres, which influences the app's recommendations. There's also a promise of a "personalized search page" based on your interests.

This integration of intelligent search across different apps enhances the user experience and makes it easier to find the content you're looking for.

iOS 18.2 Voice Memos

Musicians will appreciate the addition of layered recordings in the Voice Memos app. You can now add a vocal track over an existing song. iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max users can even import two-track projects into Logic Pro. This feature opens up new possibilities for music creation and experimentation.

iOS 18.2 Apple News Plus

The array of puzzles available to Apple News Plus subscribers continues to grow. After Quartiles, Sudoku has now joined the ranks. You can try a sample Sudoku game in the Puzzles section of the News app. For a full subscription, it costs $12.99/month, providing entertainment and mental stimulation.

iOS 18.2 Find My

The Share Item Location feature in iOS 18.2 gives strangers a better chance of finding lost items equipped with an AirTag. You can get a link showing the last known location of the item and share it with a trusted third party, such as airlines. This expands the pool of people who can help locate your lost belongings.

iOS 18.2 Camera Control

For iPhone 16 users, iOS 18.2 brings three new control options to the Camera Control button. You can lock the autofocus and auto exposure settings by applying light pressure and release the lock by lifting your finger. This is configurable in the Camera section of the Settings app. Additionally, in the Accessibility section, you can adjust the double-click speed of the button and set it to only work when the iPhone's screen is active. This helps prevent accidental presses and provides more control over the camera settings.

iOS 18.2 Audio controls

If you want to adjust playback volume from the lock screen, iOS 18.2 allows you to add a volume slider. In the Settings app, select Accessibility, then Audio & Visual. The Always Show Volume Control button restores the slider to the lock screen. There's also a new audio setting to adjust the limit of the iPhone speaker volume, which is useful for preventing damage to the speaker or disturbing others. This setting only affects playback volume and not other sounds like phone calls and alerts.

Change the default apps

iOS 18.2 expands the number of default apps you can change to include apps for phone calls and messaging. There's a guide available on how to make these changes. Additionally, for those using the Stocks app to follow the market, iOS 18.2 adds premarket quotes for both the Nasdaq and NYSE exchanges, providing more real-time information.