iOS 18.2 launched earlier this month, introducing new features such as Visual intelligence And Image playground. AI updates may take center stage, but the patch also adds some quality-of-life improvements to your iPhone that you might not know about. These range from changing the layout of the Lock Screen to additional controls on the Photos app. The patch is quite large, so instead of reviewing each update, we’ll highlight the most impactful changes.
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After reading it, you can Install iOS 18.2 on your iPhone by opening the Settings menu and then going to General. Tap Software Update to find the patch. Be aware that you will need one the phone is capable of supporting iOS 18just like iPhone 13 Pro. Note that Apple Intelligence features are specific to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 series. Unfortunately, older models do not support them.
1. New layout controls
Starting with iOS 18.2, Apple finally allows users to arrange app icons in any order they want. Apps no longer automatically snap to a strict grid when scrolling, so you can leave some space for the wallpaper.
Dark mode can also be applied to the aforementioned Home screen. Doing so will darken the wallpaper and change the wallpaper for first-party apps from white to black. The dock at the bottom even turns dark gray. It is possible to keep dark apps while reverting the wallpaper to Light mode by tapping the sun icon.
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There is now also a Tinted option. This allows you to “paint” all the app icons on your Home screen a single color, which can be red, blue, or green. iOS 18.2 also allows people to change brightness. So you can have icons with dark colors or light colors.
Other notable changes include larger icons and the ability to change Control Center.
2. Clean up the Photos app
On the Photos app, the Recently Viewed and Recently Shared albums can be cleared. Tap the three dots in the upper right corner to open a drop-down menu when viewing images. Select “Removed all from recently viewed” (or recently shared if viewing that album) to delete everything. Don’t worry about losing photos; it leaves the original file.
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If you want to delete individual photos in an album, instead touch and hold the photo, then tap “Delete from recently viewed photos” in the context menu. Furthermore, Apple is allowing users to turn off the auto-repeat function on Photos. This tool, in case you need to watch it again, automatically restarts video playback after the clip ends. You can find this toggle by going to the Apps section of the Settings menu. Select Photos and press the Loop Videos button near the bottom to turn it off.
3. Improved Camera Control
While we’re on the subject of photography, this next feature is said to be exclusive to the iPhone 16 series. Owners of recent models can restrict the Camera Control button so that it only works when screen is turned on. This helps prevent accidental presses when holding the iPhone horizontally (of course, this doesn’t solve for accidental presses while watching a movie, so there’s still room for improvement).
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This option is at the bottom of the Display and Brightness section within the Settings menu. Just press the toggle switch and you’re ready to go. At the time of writing, it is unknown whether the iPhone 15 series will also have this security feature. This is still an issue with older models, so it would be great if Apple extended the fix. Until then, Reddit user suggested changing the button’s activation gesture to double-click Settings.
4. Expand Find My
Apple’s Find My feature is a useful tool for locating AirTags attached to lost objects. As part of iOS 18.2, the tech giant is allowing users shares AirTag’s location with major airlines to help find their lost luggage. 15 airlines, including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways, support the update.
The way it works is when you find an AirTag on your iPhone, you “tap the item you want to share location updates for,” then select Share Item Location. This will create a temporary website with a link that you can share with the airline. Each airline has a different way to get the link generated. United AirlinesFor example, ask people to submit a link to “report delayed baggage” to its official mobile app. You should check with your airline about how information is shared.
