When Apple releases iOS 18.2 for iPhone, it will bring more Apple Intelligence features to more people. It will probably be a bigger update than the current iOS 18.1 version, with more impressive elements, which will transform the iPhone for many. It will see Apple Intelligence delivered beyond US English users for the first time. See what’s coming, exactly when, including new features that aren’t part of Apple Intelligence.
Apple iPhone 16.
iOS 18.2: Apple’s new Intelligence features
iOS 18.1 users have seen a number of neat improvements. For starters, there are system-wide writing tools that let users improve their writing style in Mail, Messages, and other apps, or correct grammar, sentence structure, and more.
Siri has already become more conversational and much more knowledgeable about Apple products, so you can talk to your phone to learn how to do things on it. And users can summarize email chains with one click.
But it’s the changes coming in iOS 18.2 that might really capture the imagination. Image Playground lets you create images from text commands and create unique and original emojis, called Genmoji, which can even be based on photos of you, a friend, or anyone else. There’s also the Image Wand, which lets you use text or your own sketches to create images.
And Writing Tools will take a leap forward with more features, such as letting you outline specific changes for text: Apple says you can rewrite a dinner invitation as a poem, say.
Visual Intelligence is a long-awaited feature that works with Camera Control on iPhone 16 to help you learn about objects or places your iPhone camera can see, like restaurant details or instant text translation. More will come in the spring of 2025, but this upgrade is arguably the biggest and most transformative ever for the iPhone.
iOS 18.2: Apple Intelligence for more users
This upgrade is the most transformative of all for those users who didn’t get the benefits of Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.1, namely those using the US English iPhone. In December, all iOS 18.1 features as well as those in iOS 18.2 will arrive for local English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom
iOS 18.2: Other updates
The next big update will also have a new design for Mail, updates to Find My, the return of the volume slider on the lock screen, changes to the Photos app, and more.
iOS 18.2 release date
Apple has said December is the launch month, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently said it will be the week of December 2nd. Gurman is often right, but I have a feeling it will be later. I believe it will be Monday, December 9th or Tuesday, December 10th. More as we have.
