iOS 17.2 is here with the Journal app and several other features and fixes

Just after the release of iOS 17.1, Apple began beta testing on iOS 17.2. While iOS 17.1 introduced some of the “coming later this year” features of iOS 17, there are still a few to come, and we expect iOS 17.2 to include quite a few of them.

The biggest one is the Journal app, which Apple announced at WWDC in June. You’re also getting Spatial Video recording (to get you ready for the Apple Vision Pro), body shapes for Memoji, a favorites playlist in Apple Music, Weather improvements, AirDrop improvements, and more.

Update 12/11/23: iOS 17.2 is out now for everyone.

iOS 17.2: Notable new features

Journal app: The Apple life-journaling app is included in iOS 17.2. You can record and reflect on your daily life and activities, with on-device machine learning helping to choose what to write about and pick photos, music listened to, and more.

iMessage Contact Key Verification: Made for users who face “extraordinary digital threats” such as journalists, human rights activists, and government officials, this is a new method by which users can verify the person with whom they are messaging.

Translate Action button: The Action button on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max has a new Translate option.

Weather and Clock widgets: There are three new widgets for the Weather app and one for the Clock app (the first digital clock widget Apple has made).

Reactions in Messages: You can now react to an iMessage with any emoji or sticker. Just long-press the message and choose “add sticker.”

iOS 17.2: Security updates

There are 10 security updates in iOS 17.2 affecting several system features, including Siri, Safari, and Find My. None appear to have been exploited in the wild, though the Safari Private Browsing bug, which could let someone access your private tabs without authentication could affect all users.

iOS 17.2: Release Notes

These are the release notes for iOS 17.2. Highlights include the new Journal app, the favorites playlist in Apple Music, improvements to Weather and Messages, PDF autofill, and more. It looks like collaborative playlists in Apple Music will not make this release after all.

Journal

• Journal is a new app that lets you write about the small moments and big events in your life so you can practice gratitude and improve your wellbeing
• Journaling suggestions make it easy to remember your experiences by intelligently grouping your outings, photos, workouts, and more into moments you can add to your journal
• Filters let you quickly find bookmarked entries or show entries with attachments so you can revisit and reflect on key moments in your life
• Scheduled notifications help you keep a consistent journaling practice by reminding you to write on the days and time you choose
• Option to lock your journal using Touch ID or Face ID
• iCloud sync keeps your journal entries safe and encrypted on iCloud

Action Button

• Translate option for the Action button on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max to quickly translate phrases or have a conversation with someone in another language

Camera

• Spatial video lets you capture video on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max so you can relive your memories in three dimensions on Apple Vision Pro
• Improved Telephoto camera focusing speed when capturing small faraway objects on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max

Messages

• Catch-up arrow lets you easily jump to your first unread message in a conversation by tapping the arrow visible in the top-right corner
• Add sticker option in the context menu lets you add a sticker directly to a bubble
• Memoji updates include the ability to adjust the body shape of any Memoji
• Contact Key Verification provides automatic alerts and Contact Verification Codes to help verify people facing extraordinary digital threats are messaging only with the people they intend

Weather

• Precipitation amounts help you stay on top of rain and snow conditions for a given day over the next 10 days
• New widgets let you choose from next-hour precipitation, daily forecast, sunrise and sunset times, and current conditions such as Air Quality, Feels Like, and wind speed
• Wind map snapshot helps you quickly assess wind patterns and access the animated wind map overlay to prepare for forecasted wind conditions for the next 24 hours
• Interactive moon calendar lets you easily visualize the phase of the moon on any day for the next month

This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes:

• Siri support for privately accessing and logging Health app data using your voice
• AirDrop improvements including expanded contact sharing options and the ability to share boarding passes, movie tickets, and other eligible passes by bringing two iPhones together
• Favorite Songs Playlist in Apple Music lets you quickly get back to the songs you mark as favorites
• Use Listening History in Apple Music can be disabled in a Focus so music you listen to does not appear in Recently Played or influence your recommendations
• A new Digital Clock Widget lets you quickly catch a glimpse of the time on your Home Screen and while in StandBy
• Enhanced AutoFill identifies fields in PDFs and other forms enabling you to populate them with information such as names and addresses from your contacts
• New keyboard layouts provide support for 8 Sámi languages
• Sensitive Content Warning for stickers in Messages prevents you from being unexpectedly shown a sticker containing nudity
• Qi2 charger support for all iPhone 13 models and iPhone 14 models
• Fixes an issue that may prevent wireless charging in certain vehicles

How to install iOS 17.2 or iPadOS 17.2

You will probably be prompted to install iOS 17.2 eventually, but that can take days or even weeks. If you want to update right away, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Software Update.
4. You’ll see the update appear, tap Download and Install (or Install Now if your iPhone has already downloaded it).
5. You’ll need to enter your passcode and your iPhone will restart after the installation downloads and installs.