iOS 18.2 beta 3: All the new features and changes

With iOS 18.3 due for release in early December, Apple continues beta testing the OS. The third beta build is now out for developers, bringing some small changes and enhancements.

Below is a roundup of all the new features and changes in iOS 18.2 beta 3.

UPDATE: These became available to all beta testers on Tuesday. Just be aware that this is the only second round of public beta testing and the updates are labeled as such. Nevertheless, public beta 2 is the same as developer beta 3.

iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 beta compatible devices

Apple released the first iOS 18.2 beta for only Apple Intelligence-compatible devices. This limited it to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 series. With the second beta, the company is expanding the beta release to all iOS 18-compatible devices.

All the AI features, though, are limited to Apple’s M-series iPads and iPad mini 7, Apple Silicon Macs, and newer iPhones.

iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 beta 3: What’s new and changed

Camera Control enhancement

iOS 18.2 beta 3 introduces a “Require Screen On” toggle. If disabled, you can use the Camera Control button on your iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro to launch the camera app even when the screen is off.

Video player tweak in Photos app

The video player in the Photos app gets a small behavioral tweak. It will no longer zoom in/out of a video when tapped.

In iOS 18.2 Beta 3, videos in the Photos app no longer zoom in or out when you tap on them. pic.twitter.com/TbCKOwlVFg

— Beta Profiles (@BetaProfiles) November 11, 2024

New customization option in iPad’s TV app

The TV app in iPadOS 18.2 beta 3 gains a fully customizable top navigation bar, allowing you to add shortcuts from the sidebar directly to it.

iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 beta 2: What’s new and changed

Share the location of a lost item in Find My

AirTags are a great way to keep track of your important items while traveling. With iOS 18.2 beta 2, Apple is making it easier to find a lost item tagged with an AirTag. You can temporarily share the lost item’s location with another person so they can also try to track it down.

The location sharing only works for a “limited time,” and you can stop it anytime. Plus, the link works through a browser, so it can be accessed on any device.

Share a quoted link from Safari

In Safari, you can now share a link to a webpage that jumps to a specific section and highlights a paragraph of text. Select text on a page, then from the pop-up menu, swipe over and tap Copy Link with Highlight.

When you open the link, it’ll be highlighted in yellow.

— D. Griffin Jones

Camera Control enhancements

iOS 18.2 beta 2 further enhances the Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 series. You can now use the button to lock the focus and exposure. To enable this feature, head over to Settings > Camera Control and enable AE/AF Lock.

You can also tweak the Camera Control double click speed in iOS 18.2 beta 2. The option is located under Settings > Accessibility > Camera Control. Besides Default, the other two options include Slow and Slower.

Image Playground integration in the Notes app

Apple is integrating Image Playground into the Notes app with iOS 18.2. Write down whatever you want in a new note, then select the text. A new “Create Image” option will appear, which will use the text as input in Image Playground to create an AI-generated image.

iPhone Mirroring works with hotspot

iOS 18.2 beta 2 enables you to mirror your iPhone to your Mac while using the former as a hotspot for internet connection.

New Fitness shortcuts

There are new Fitness actions in the Shortcut app in iOS 18.2 beta 2, like Open Fitness Settings, Open Award, and Open Session History. You can use these actions to build more powerful shortcuts.

iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 beta 1: What’s new and changed

New Apple Intelligence Features

iOS 18.2 beta 1 adds several new Apple Intelligence features missing from the iOS 18.1 beta.

Image Playground: A new Playground app will allow you to use AI to create images with just a few prompts. The first time you open the Playground app, you must join a waitlist. Once approved, you can start creating images in seconds, with an option to choose between Animation and Illustration styles.

AI-powered image generation capabilities are also available inside the Messages and Mail app.

Genmoji: Similar to Image Playground, you can use Apple Intelligence to create custom emoji based on the entered prompt.

Image Wand: This feature will use AI to turn your rough sketches into “delightful images.”

Writing Tools enhancement: Writing Tools is getting a big boost in iOS 18.2, and you can “describe your change” on how Apple Intelligence should modify the tone and voice of your text.

Visual Intelligence: First showcased by Apple during the iPhone 16 launch, Visual Intelligence will provide more information about the subject you point the camera towards. You can bring up Visual Intelligence with a long press of the Camera Control button. It can give you additional information about an object, display reviews of a location, or allow you to search for the item on Google.

A first look at Visual Intelligence on the iPhone 16 series in iOS 18.2 Beta 1. pic.twitter.com/LIQAe1S93R

— Beta Profiles (@BetaProfiles) October 23, 2024

Wider availability: iOS 18.2 beta 1 expands Apple Intelligence support to more regions, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. However, your device language should still be set to English.

ChatGPT integration in Siri: iOS 18.2 beta 1 brings ChatGPT integration into Siri. This enables Apple’s virtual assistant to pass over queries to ChatGPT for smarter, detailed answers. The best part about this integration is that you can use ChatGPT through Siri without an OpenAI account.

Categorization in Mail app

iOS 18.2 beta 1 revamps the Mail app with AI-powered categorization. This will automatically filter your emails into categories like Primary, Updates, and Promotions.

New Default Apps settings

Apple is introducing a new Default Apps menu in the iPhone’s Settings app with iOS 18.2 beta 1. This option will act as a centralized place to control the default app settings on your iPhone. It will allow you to change the default email, messaging, calling, call filtering, browser, keyboard, and password app.

Volume limit

In iOS 18.2 beta 1, you can set a volume limit for your iPhone’s speaker volume. The new option is located under Settings > Sound and Haptics > Volume Limit. Setting a maximum limit will not affect the speaker volume for FaceTime calls, ringtones, and system sounds. It will only limit the volume level when playing back content through the speakers.

Daily Sudoku

Subscribers of Apple News+ now have a daily sudoku puzzle. In fact, you actually have three daily puzzles — one easy, one moderate and one challenging. There are puzzles available starting on Sunday, October 20, 2024.

The harder puzzles contain progressively fewer numbers on the board to start. You can fill out the board, mark it up with notes, check for mistakes, get a hint, and if you just can’t get it, reveal the answers for a square or the whole puzzle. Your results are timed and compared to your friends on Game Center.

— D. Griffin Jones

Volume slider on the Lock Screen

You can put the volume slider back on the Lock Screen, like older versions of iOS did. You can enable this  in Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual by checking Always Show Volume Control.

— D. Griffin Jones

Layering in Voice Memos

On the iPhone 16 Pro, the Voice Memos app in iOS 18.2 beta 1 allows you to mix two tracks together. You can also separate and mix layers.

More EU-specific changes

In iOS 18.2 beta 1, you can remove many core iPhone apps, such as Photos, Safari, Messages, Camera and even the App Store. This is an EU-specific change to comply with the local laws.

Import/Export Safari data

Safari in iOS 18.2 beta 1 allows you to import your bookmarks, history, extensions, and passwords from another browser into Safari. Similarly, you can export your browser data like bookmarks, credit card details, and history as an archive to import into other browsers.

Type to Siri toggle in the Control Center

iOS 18.2 beta 1 introduces a new “Type to Siri” toggle in the Control Center, providing quick access to the Type to Siri functionality.

Developers can test EU-specific changes

App developers can develop and test EU-specific features on their iPhones and iPads even if they are outside the EU. This includes features such as “alternative browser engines, contactless apps, marketplace installations from web browsers, and marketplace apps, from anywhere in the world. Developers of apps that use alternative browser engines can now use WebKit in those same apps.”

Notice any other changes in iOS 18.2 beta 1? Drop a comment and share them with us.