{"id":107351,"date":"2025-07-31T10:54:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T10:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/107351\/"},"modified":"2025-07-31T10:54:12","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T10:54:12","slug":"before-ios-26-dont-miss-these-ios-18-2-iphone-features","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/107351\/","title":{"rendered":"Before iOS 26, Don’t Miss These iOS 18.2 iPhone Features"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apple is set to release iOS 26<\/a> this fall, and will bring new features like Liquid Glass<\/a>\u00a0to your iPhone<\/a>. But you don’t have to wait to enjoy some new-ish features on your iPhone. Apple released\u00a0iOS 18.2<\/a>\u00a0in December, and that update brought a whole host of new features to your device. It also brought new Apple Intelligence features, like\u00a0Genmoji<\/a>,\u00a0Visual Intelligence<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0ChatGPT integrated Siri<\/a>, to the\u00a0iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro Max<\/a>\u00a0and devices from the\u00a0iPhone 16 lineup<\/a>. Even if you don’t have one of those iPhones, you still get new features like an updated\u00a0Mail<\/a> app and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"tips-tech.png\" <\/a> <\/p>\n

Here are some of the features that landed on your iPhone with iOS 18.2. Just a reminder that only people with an\u00a0iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max<\/a>\u00a0or the\u00a0iPhone 16 lineup<\/a>\u00a0can access Apple Intelligence features for now. If you have any other iPhone, you won’t have access to those features.<\/p>\n

Glowing Siri and ChatGPT<\/p>\n

Apple announced at WWDC in May that its virtual assistant Siri was soon entering a “new era” thanks to Apple Intelligence enhancements. And Apple is bringing most of those enhancements to some iPhones with iOS 18.2.<\/p>\n

With Apple Intelligence, instead of seeing a logo pop up on your screen when you activate Siri, you’ll see a glowing light around your screen. You can use Siri like you normally would, and you can also access ChatGPT<\/a> for your queries.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Whenever you’re using an AI chatbot, remember that results may not be accurate and may vary even if you ask the same question twice. I asked Siri to use ChatGPT to show me how to brew a cup of coffee, and at first, it wrote out a seven-step process on how to make drip coffee in a standard brewer. Those instructions were a little wonky, telling me to measure out my water and coffee grounds before grinding my coffee beans. Another time, I asked the same thing and Siri gave me a five-step process, which was more accurate. There is a disclaimer at the bottom of these ChatGPT requests that reads, “Check important info for mistakes.”<\/p>\n

You can also copy what Siri and ChatGPT show you by tapping a button in the top right corner of the window that shows two pieces of paper. Then, you can paste the response in a message or a note if you want — but again, you should verify the details of your request.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong> ChatGPT Gets Integrated Into Siri With iOS 18.2<\/a><\/p>\n

Genmoji<\/p>\n

There are\u00a0over 3,000 emoji<\/a>\u00a0you can use, but sometimes you can’t find the one you really want. Genmoji<\/a> is here to help. With the Apple Intelligence\u00a0Genmoji<\/a>\u00a0feature, you can describe the emoji you’re looking for and iPhones with Apple Intelligence will attempt to generate a new emoji based on your description.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"A Apple\/Screenshot by CNET<\/p>\n

To use Genmoji, go into a message and tap the emoji keyboard in the bottom left corner of your keyboard. Then, type the emoji you’re looking for into the search bar. If there isn’t an emoji that matches your description, tap\u00a0Create New Emoji<\/strong>\u00a0just below the search bar. Your iPhone will then show you a few variations of what it came up with based on your description. You can swipe through the emoji, and when you find a Genmoji you like, tap\u00a0Add<\/strong>\u00a0in the top right corner to permanently add that new emoji to your keyboard.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong> How to Create Custom Emoji With Genmoji and AI<\/a><\/p>\n

Visual Intelligence<\/p>\n

This is Apple’s answer to Google Lens.\u00a0Visual Intelligence<\/a>\u00a0is 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.<\/p>\n

You can also integrate this feature with ChatGPT to help you identify items, as well as to help you better understand what’s on a page or screen. Note that you don’t need a ChatGPT account to use the integration.<\/p>\n

When Apple released iOS 18.2, this feature was also only available on the iPhone 16 lineup since it utilizes the series’ new camera control side-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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“The camera control provides instant, easy access to the camera with just a click. It allows you to adjust various camera features simply by sliding your finger,” Apple said at its Glowtime event in September. “Its convenient design ensures it’s always within reach.”<\/p>\n

When Apple released iOS 18.3<\/a> in January, a Visual Intelligence control was added to the Control Centers of iPhone 15 Pros and Pro Maxs. So while those iPhones can’t utilize the Camera Control button to access Visual Intelligence, they can access the feature from the Control Center.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Image Playground<\/p>\n

This Apple Intelligence feature takes Genmoji one step further and lets you create whole images based on text prompts in a tool called Image Playground<\/a>. This feature is a standalone app and it can also be found in Message by tapping the plus (+<\/strong>) button to the left of your text box.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Image Playground is filled with prompt suggestions, 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’s also an option to change the art style from the default cartoony 3D images to illustrations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you want to put yourself, friends, family or your pet into one of these images, you can. Tap the plus (+<\/strong>) sign in the bottom right corner and then tap either\u00a0Choose Photo<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0Take Photo<\/strong>. You’ll still have to choose or enter a prompt in addition to the photo.<\/p>\n

\"An Apple\/Screenshot by CNET<\/p>\n

The feature can create some simple images, and it can be unintentionally funny with how weird other images are. In one instance, I selected the prompts astronaut, artist and lighthouse. One of the results showed an astronaut leaning against what I Imagine is an invisible stool while painting a multicolor beach scene. But for some reason there’s a lighthouse just floating in the background. Phenomenal work.<\/p>\n

You can also draw a sketch in Notes, select your sketch and then use it with Visual Playground. That way you can either clean up your sketch, or if — like me — you’re not an artist, you can use the feature to flesh out your sketch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong> Everything You Need to Know About Image Playground<\/a><\/p>\n

Find My improvements<\/p>\n

The Find My app can be used to locate things like your AirPods and MacBook, and with iOS 18.2, Apple makes it easy for everyone to get help finding lost items. If you go into\u00a0Find My > Items<\/strong>\u00a0and tap one of your items, you have two new options:\u00a0Share Item Location <\/strong>and Show Contact Info<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Show Apple\/Screenshot by CNET<\/p>\n

If you enable Share Item Location<\/a>, Find My will create a link that you can share with others so they can notify you if they find your lost or missing item. This could be especially helpful as we head into the holidays as more people are traveling and losing luggage at airports or leaving items behind. These links expire after one week, though, which may not be enough time to find them.<\/p>\n

If you enable Show Contact Info, others can connect to lost items so they can find ways to contact you and bring your item back to you.\u00a0<\/p>\n

New Mail categories<\/p>\n

The Mail app on every iPhone also gets an upgrade in iOS 18.2. Apple announced in September that Mail would soon be able to sort emails to multiple categories to keep your important emails in one place and ads or promotions in another, like Gmail and Outlook do. The new layout keeps things mostly tidy, but Mail doesn’t always get it right. For example, I found an email for digital tickets I previously ordered in the Promotions category rather than the Primary category.<\/p>\n

You don’t have to use the new layout if you don’t want to. To change your Mail layout back, go into Mail, tap the three dots (…<\/strong>) in the top right corner and tap\u00a0List View<\/strong>. You can also swipe left on the Categories to reveal the All Mail<\/strong> option, which shows your emails in List View but with the category tabs still at the top.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong> What to Know About Mail Categories and How to Disable Them<\/a><\/p>\n

Volume slider is back on your lock screen \"The Apple\/Screenshot by CNET<\/p>\n

Apple previously removed the volume slider on the iPhone’s lock screen. You could still use the volume buttons on the side of your iPhone, but it wasn’t as precise as the slider. With iOS 18.2, you can add the slider back to your lock screen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio and Visual<\/strong>\u00a0and tap the toggle next to Always Show Volume Control<\/strong>. Now, whether you’re listening to a podcast or music from one of Apple’s apps or a third-party app the volume slider will be present on your lock screen.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong> How to Bring the Volume Slider Back to Your iPhone in 4 Easy Steps<\/a><\/p>\n

iPhone speaker volume limit \"The Apple\/Screenshot by CNET<\/p>\n

If you have kids who like to play games or watch videos on their iPhones and they set the music to full blast, that could damage their device’s speakers — not to mention that it could be annoying to you. But iOS 18.2 lets set a maximum volume limit on an iPhone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To set a limit go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Volume Limit<\/strong> and tap the toggle next to Limit Maximum Volume<\/strong>. A scale will appear and you can select what you want the limit to be. Apple does note that this limit doesn’t apply to things like phone calls, FaceTime calls, emergency calls or Find My sounds.<\/p>\n

Change your default apps<\/p>\n

If you like using another messaging or email app, like Signal or Gmail, over Apple’s native apps, you can change your default apps<\/a> to those other apps in iOS 18.2. And in some regions you can even change your default app marketplace.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more: <\/strong>Don’t Like Your Default iPhone Apps? Here’s How to Change Them<\/a><\/p>\n

Apple News Plus subscribers get Sudoku puzzles \"A Apple\/Screenshot by CNET<\/p>\n

Apple launched Apple News Plus in 2019<\/a>. Since then the tech company has made some changes to its news aggregator service, like the addition of the Quartiles<\/a> puzzles. With iOS 18.2, Apple brings Sudoku to Apple News Plus subscribers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you subscribe to Apple News Plus ($13 a month<\/a>) go to News > Following > Puzzles<\/strong>\u00a0to play the latest puzzle. Every day, Apple launches a few of these puzzles, each ranging in difficulty, so there’s always a new brain-teaser to play.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/strong>: What You Need to Know About Sudoku on Your iPhone<\/a><\/p>\n

Require Screen On camera toggle<\/p>\n

If you have any phones from the iPhone 16 lineup, you have the Camera Control button. You have to press this twice to open your camera if your screen is asleep or inactive, but Apple introduced a new toggle in the iOS 18.2 so that you can press the Camera Control once to open your camera even if your screen is off.<\/p>\n

To do this, go to Settings > Display & Brightness<\/strong> and tap the toggle next to Require Screen On <\/strong>to disable the feature. Now if you press the Camera Control while your screen is off, your iPhone will open your Camera without a second press. However, it could also lead to accidentally opening your camera more often.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here are the full release notes for iOS 18.2.<\/p>\n

Apple Intelligence (All iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max)<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Image Playground<\/p>\n