iOS 18.2 Comes with AI-Supported Siri, Genmoji, and Image Playground

In late October, Apple rolled out the first batch of its Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 16 series users and owners of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max with the release of stable iOS 18.1. Today, the second wave of these features has been made available to the same models with the release of the stable version of iOS 18.2.

Apple has launched iOS 18.2, introducing the second installment of Apple Intelligence features.

The AI features introduced with iOS 18.2 include the Image Playground. It allows you to generate images using descriptions, concepts, and people from your photo library, in either Animation or Illustration styles. Personally, I haven’t found the Image Playground as useful as generating images through Gemini or ChatGPT. Hopefully, it will become more useful in the future. The Image Playground is accessible within Messages and Mail, in addition to being available as a standalone app.

I found Genmoji both fun and useful, as it allows you to create custom emojis by simply typing a description of what you want. For example, typing "Cow wearing sunglasses" will produce the desired emoji in a few seconds. It syncs with your sticker drawer on all iCloud-enabled devices. In the Messages app, tap the emoji icon in the bottom left corner, then press the purple emoji icon with the "+" symbol in a circle next to the text field. Enter your desired emoji description in the field labeled "Describe a Genmoji."

A new era begins for Siri with the integration of ChatGPT in iOS 18.2. To get started, go to Settings and tap on Apple Intelligence and Siri. Under the Extensions heading, select ChatGPT and sign into the app—there's a free tier available, so you don't need to worry about costs. Once this update is installed, Siri can direct certain questions she can't answer to ChatGPT, provided you approve. If not, Siri can search the web for a response. Given how many of us have wanted Siri to stop referring us to websites for answers, it’s worth giving ChatGPT a try.

A new feature in Writing Tools lets you use ChatGPT to compose a letter or message based on your instructions. To access it, open the Mail app (not Gmail), tap the compose icon in the lower right corner (it resembles a pen on paper), and tap on the body of the letter. A toolbar will appear above the keyboard. Tap the Apple Intelligence logo to open Writing Tools.

At the very bottom, you'll find a field labeled "Compose." Tap on it, and you'll see an option for "Compose with ChatGPT." Select it, then type in the letter you want ChatGPT to compose and specify the style. You can even ask ChatGPT to write a letter about the iPhone as a rap song.

iOS 18.2 introduces Visual Intelligence with Camera Control for the iPhone 16 series. By focusing your camera on an object or item of interest, Camera Control allows you to obtain information about it via Google Search or ChatGPT.

With iOS 18.2, iPhone users who support the update can quickly choose their default apps.

The native Mail app will now sort your emails to prioritize important ones, marking these "priority" emails and placing them at the top of your inbox. This update also introduces a non-AI-related feature, making it available to all iPhone models compatible with iOS 18.2. The new Default Apps page lets you set your default apps quickly, including those already installed on your iPhone:

- Email: The selected app will be used for composing new emails.

- Messaging: The chosen app will be used to write new messages.

- Calling: The default app will be used for making phone calls.

- Call Filtering: Choose the default app for call filtering and identification.

- Browser App: The default browser will open links and websites.

- Passwords & Codes: The app is used for AutoFill, with a separate app for setting up verification and QR codes.

- Contactless App: This default app will be used when using NFC with contactless readers.

- Keyboards: Choose between Apple's QWERTY keyboard or a third-party keyboard.

To change your default apps, go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps.

To install iOS 18.2 on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Upda

te and follow the instructions.