iOS 17.2 Update With Journal App, Spatial Video Capture, New Widgets, and More Available Now

iOS 17.2 adds improved telephoto camera focusing speed when capturing small faraway objects on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Written by Nithya P Nair, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 12 December 2023 09:54 IST

iOS 17.2 Update With Journal App, Spatial Video Capture, New Widgets, and More Available Now

Photo Credit: Apple

iOS 17.2 allows iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max users to record Spatial Video

Highlights

AirPlay in hotels and Apple Music collaborative playlists delayed to 2024
iOS 17.2 allows iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max users to record Spatial Video
iOS 17.2 adds Qi2 support to the iPhone 13 series and iPhone 14 models

Apple released the iOS 17.2 update on Monday (December 11) as the latest OS version for iPhone. The update includes security fixes, patches, improvements as well as new features. It brings Apple's long-awaited new Journal app (Review) to the iPhone. It also enables Spatial Video capture on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iOS 17.2 update also brings new actions for the iPhone 15 Pro's Action Button, new Weather widget, AirDrop improvements, and improvements to the Messages app. Further, the update brings Qi2 wireless charging support to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 series. However, the AirPlay in hotels feature and Apple Music collaborative playlists have been delayed and pushed to 2024.

After several weeks of testing, Apple has officially released iOS 17.2 to all compatible iPhone models alongside iPadOS 17.2, macOS 14.2 Sonoma, and watchOS 10.2 updates. The Cupertino-based tech giant has introduced the Journal app with the latest iOS update. The health and wellness-focused app that helps users record daily activities and thoughts was initially announced at the company's WWDC event in June alongside iOS 17. Users have the option to lock their Journal using Touch ID or Face ID and filters can be used to find bookmarked entries. Further, there are scheduled notifications to remind users to write when they choose to and iCloud syncs for the entries.

Journal app
Photo Credit: Apple

The iOS 17.2 update brings the ability to record spatial videos on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, which can then be viewed in 3D using the company's Vision Pro mixed reality headset. With the latest update, the iPhone 15 Pro models also get a boost in focusing speed and accuracy of its telephoto sensors while capturing distant objects.

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Spatial video
Photo Credit: Apple

With iOS 17.2, the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max gains a translate function. This can be used to quickly translate phrases or have a conversation with someone in another language.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Review: Action-Packed

Other features available in iOS 17.2 version are new Weather widgets, a Digital Clock widget, a Favourite Songs Playlist in Apple Music, a new sticker option in the context menu, AirDrop improvements, and Memoji updates. The Messages app gets new features, including a catch-up button that lets users easily jump to the first unread message in a conversation by tapping the arrow in the top-right corner. It also gets Contact Key Verification as a security feature to assist people facing digital threats.

Apple has also enabled Qi2 wireless charging support on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 series with iOS 17.2. Further, Siri in the latest iOS version can access data from the Health app using your voice. Enhanced AutoFill, keyboard layout support for eight Saimi languages, and Sensitive Content Warning for stickers in Messages are other key highlights.

To download the latest iOS 17.2 update, head to Settings> General > Software Update and download and follow the instructions. Users are recommended to connect their iPhone to a power source until the update finishes installing.

Unfortunately, the Apple Music collaborative playlists feature that appeared in the iOS 17.2 beta versions is not available in the final version. This functionality allows users to add friends to their playlists and enables multiple users to add, record, and remove songs from the same playlist. iOS 17's AirPlay in hotel rooms feature is also not included in the final release. Apple has stated that these two features have been pushed to 2024.

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Apple iPhone 15 Pro

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A17 Pro

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1179x2556 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Excellent display
USB Type-C
AAA gaming
Excellent all-round performance
Good primary and telephoto camera
Customisable Action Button

Bad
Gets hot quickly when stressed
Slow wired charging
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max review

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Apple A17 Pro

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1290x2796 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

iPhone 14

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Good overall performance
Great camera quality in daylight
iOS ecosystem and ease of use

Bad
Dated design and notch
Very similar to iPhone 13
Relatively slow charging
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone 14 review

Display 6.06-inch

Processor Apple A15 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 16

Resolution 1170x2532 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

iPhone 13

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Great performance
Versatile cameras
Sharp, bright display
Good battery life

Bad
Standard display refresh rate, intrusive notch
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone 13 review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A15 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 15

Resolution 1170x2532 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

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Further reading: iOS 17.2, iOS 17, iOS, Apple, Journal App, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro

Nithya P Nair

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Nithya P Nair is a journalist with more than five years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in business and technology beats. A foodie at heart, Nithya loves exploring new places (read cuisines) and sneaking in Malayalam movie dialogues to spice up conversations. More