Apple released the first public beta version of the iOS 18.2 on November 6. The beta comes about a week after Apple’s launch iOS 18.1 the general public. iOS 18.1 brought some new features and fixes for all iPhones and then some Apple Intelligence features TO othersthe latest beta version brings more AI features to developers and beta testers. There are also some new features in the beta that aren’t part of Apple Intelligence, so everyone can access them.

Read more: An expert’s guide to iOS 18

Since this is a beta version, I recommend that you only download it on something other than your primary device. Since this isn’t the final version of iOS 18.2, the update might have bugs and battery life might be short, so it’s best to keep those issues on a secondary device.

Note that the beta is not the final version of iOS 18.2, so there could be more features to land on the iPhone when iOS 18.2 is released. It is not yet known when Apple will release iOS 18.2 to the public.

Here are some of the features that could soon be coming to your iPhone with iOS 18.2. Just a reminder that only developers and beta testers who have an iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max or the iPhone 16 range can access the AI ​​features for now. If you have another iPhone, you won’t have access to these features.

Genmoji

I am over 3,000 emojis you can use it, but sometimes you can’t find the one you really want. Genmoji is here to help. With Apple Intelligence Genmoji feature, you can describe the emoji you’re looking for, and iPhones with Apple Intelligence will try to generate a new emoji based on your description.

To use Genmoji, go to a message and tap the emoji keyboard in the bottom left corner of the keyboard. Next, enter the emoji you’re looking for in the search bar. If there isn’t an emoji that matches your description, tap Create a new emoji just below the search bar. Your iPhone will then show you some examples of what came up based on your description. You can scroll through the emojis and when you find a Genmoji you like, tap Add in the top right corner to permanently add that new emoji to your keyboard.

Visual intelligence

This is Apple’s answer to Google Lens. Visual intelligence is an Apple Intelligence feature that lets you point your camera at something, like a dog, and your iPhone will then use the photo to search online to help you identify it. The feature can also be used to detect phone numbers to create contacts, scan QR codes and translate languages.

You can also integrate this feature with ChatGPT to help you identify items as well as help you better understand what’s on a page or screen. It is important to note that you do not need a ChatGPT account to use the integration.

This feature is also only available on the iPhone 16 range as it uses the series’ new side camera control button. If you have one of the new iPhones, long press the new side button where the SIM card tray used to be to quickly pull up Visual Intelligence.

“Camera Control provides instant and easy camera access with just one click. It lets you adjust various camera functions with the swipe of your finger,” Apple said at its “Glowtime” event in September. “Its convenient design ensures it’s always close at hand.”

Image Playground

This Apple Intelligence feature takes Genmoji one step further and lets you create entire images based on text prompts called Image Playground. This feature is a standalone app and can also be found in Message by tapping the plus (+) to the left of the text box.

Image Playground is full of prompts, themes, places and more to get you started. You can enter multiple prompts to make the image more specific, but once I entered seven prompts a popup appeared telling me to use fewer. There is also an option to change the art style from the default animated 3D images to illustrations.

If you want to put yourself, your friends and family or your pet in one of these pictures, you can. Tap the plus (+) sign in the lower right corner and then tap any Choose Photo or Take a photo. Next you will need to choose or enter a request in addition to the photo.

The feature can create some simple images and be unintentionally funny with how weird other images are. In one case, I selected the instructions astronaut, artist, and lighthouse. One of the results showed what I can only describe as a semi-stronaut propped up on an easel surrounded by frames across from another easel with a drawing of a lighthouse on it. Stellar work.

Read more: Apple Intelligence’s new notification summary feature can be absurdly wrong

Shiny Siri and ChatGPT

Apple announced at WWDC in May that its virtual assistant Siri will soon enter a “new era” thanks to improvements to Apple Intelligence. With iOS 18.2 beta, Apple brings most of these improvements to some iPhones.

With Apple Intelligence, instead of seeing a logo appear on the screen when you activate Siri, you’ll see a glowing light around the screen. You can use Siri as you normally would and also use ChatGPT for your queries.

I asked Siri to use ChatGPT to show me how to make a cup of coffee, and she wrote out a seven-step process on how to make drip coffee in a standard coffee pot. The instructions were a little wonky, telling me to measure the water and coffee grounds before I ground my coffee beans. There is a disclaimer at the bottom of these ChatGPT requests that says, “Check important information for errors.”

You can also copy what Siri and ChatGPT show you by tapping a button in the upper right corner of the window that shows two pieces of paper. You can then paste this into a message or note if you like — but again, you should check the details of your request.

New email categories

Your email app also gets an upgrade in iOS 18.2 beta. Apple announced in September that Mail will soon be able to sort emails into multiple categories to keep your important emails in one place and announcements or promotions in another, just like Gmail and Outlook do. The new look keeps things mostly tidy, but Mail doesn’t always get it right. For example, I found an email for the digital tickets I previously ordered in the Promotions category and not in the Main category.

You don’t have to use the new layout if you don’t want to. To change the look of Mail back, go to Mail, tap the three dots (…) in the upper right corner and tap List view.

Find my upgrades

The Find Me app can be used to locate things like AirPods and MacBooks, and with iOS 18.2 beta, Apple is making it easier to get help finding lost items. In beta, if you enter the Find Me > Articles and tap one of your items, you have a new option Share the location of the item.

If you enable this option, Find My will create a link that you can share with others so they can let you know if they find your lost or missing item. These links expire after a week, which may not be enough time to find them missing.

There is another option nearby Share the location of the item appointed Display contact information. If you enable this feature, others can log in to your lost items so they can find ways to contact you and get your item back.

These are some of the new features that public beta testers can try with this iOS 18.2 public beta. There will likely be several betas before this version of the OS is released to the public, so Apple has plenty of time to change these features. As of now, it is not known when Apple will release iOS 18.2 to the general public.

For more on iOS, you can check out my review on iOS 18what to know iOS 18.1 and ours iOS 18 cheat sheet.

Watch this: Apple’s iPhone Monster Update: How Apple Intelligence Works on iOS 18.1

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