iOS 18.2 Is Here: Check Out What's New for Apple Intelligence

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The iOS 18.2 update goes out today, Apple confirms to PCMag, bringing a fresh batch of Apple Intelligence features.

That means it's time to plug in your phone, connect to Wi-Fi, and hit the upgrade button if you have an eligible device: iPhone 15 Pro and up, iPad mini (Late 2024), iPad Air (M1 and later), iPad Pro (M1 and later), iPad (M1 and later), or M-Series Mac computers. You can check to see if the update has hit your device under Settings > General > Software Update.

This update is critical for Apple to build momentum around its flagship AI product, especially after the first batch of features that arrived in October with iOS 18.1 were a bit of a letdown. Though they had the stellar design and ease of use we expect from Apple, none revolutionized the way we use our devices. I've even found myself wanting to turn off the notification summaries at times because they don't always accurately sum up emails and texts.

But with iOS 18.2, Apple adds more useful features that could gain traction. Here's the full list.

Siri ChatGPT Integration

This iOS update brings a much-anticipated ChatGPT integration. When you ask Siri something, you will have the option to route the inquiry through OpenAI's chatbot instead. This could be especially useful for the that arrived with iOS 18.1, which we found was not as information-rich as other on the market today.

A pop-up will ask for your consent to consult ChatGPT, possibly because OpenAI has a different data privacy policy. You can skip this step by telling Siri to ask ChatGPT in your initial request.

"Users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and privacy protections are built in—their IP addresses are obscured and OpenAI won’t store requests," Apple says. "For those who choose to connect their account, ChatGPT’s data-use policies apply."

ChatGPT Plus subscribers can connect their accounts and access paid features. There should also be an option to upgrade to Plus from within iOS. Apple is reportedly not paying OpenAI to use its tech; the exposure to the iPhone userbase is reportedly payment enough, with OpenAI betting it will convert to more $20-per-month ChatGPT Plus subscriptions.

The screenshot above also notes a message cap: "You'll have access to ChatGPT's advanced capabilities until you reach your daily limit," at which point "additional requests will use the basic version (of ChatGPT) for up to 24 hours."

Visual Intelligence

Those with an iPhone 16 will be able to use the new Camera Control button to learn about objects in your photos. Pressing down on the button will take a picture, and then analyze its contents.

You can ask it identify something you come across on a walk, summarize text in a photo, translate text, and read text aloud. It can also detect phone numbers or email addresses, with an option to add to contacts. Camera Control will also sync with third-party apps, so it could ask Google where to buy an item featured in your pics, for example. You can also connect to ChatGPT for more information.

Android devices, Google Lens, ChatGPT, Claude, and many other AI tools already offer it. Apple is keeping up with the competition here, but it's still likely to be a useful and welcome update.

More Powerful Writing Tools

The iOS 18.1 update added Writing Tools, which could edit written communications. With iOS 18.2, the ChatGPT integration brings the ability to compose messages from scratch, as well as generate images to go alongside the text.

Writing Tools can also now modify the tone of your communications, making it more friendly or professional, for example. You can also ask it to "make a dinner party invite read like a poem," or "add more dynamic action words to a resume." The ChatGPT integration will bring more knowledge into Writing Tools and Siri. This should improve the output, particularly with better image generation and "document-understanding capabilities."

Genmoji and Image Playground

Apple is giving us a fun set of AI-generated image capabilities to play with. With Genmojis, you can create a custom emoji that fits the conversation you're having. This can be a way to get creative and get some extra laughs from your friends and family.

A new Image Playground will become a hub for all AI-generated images you create with Apple Intelligence. There, you can edit them, create new ones, and alter photos imported from your Photos library. Once you've finished your creation, you can share it via Messages and other apps. Apple says all AI-generated images will be created through its on-device, private cloud compute.

A new Image Wand can also transform your sketch into a fully fledged image. Just circle your drawing in the Apple Pencil tool palette, and it uses on-device intelligence to recreate it. If you don't have a sketch yet, it can create one using words you've written in the Notes app.

New Languages

Apple Intelligence is still only available in English, but iOS 18.2 adds "localized English" for Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK.

In 2025, Apple will start adding support for more languages, including Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. That rollout begins with April's software update, though Apple did not confirm which languages will launch first.