Sneak Peek at iOS 17.2 Public Beta 3
With the release of iOS 17.2 beta 3, Apple continues to refine its design and user experience. Available for developers, it introduces the long-awaited Journal app, Spatial Video recording for immersive memories, and Live Stickers in Messages for personal reactions.
In the latest development from Apple, the iOS 17.2 beta 3 has been rolled out to developers and public beta testers, showcasing a few updates. Previously, beta 1 and 2 highlighted spatial video recording, collaborative playlists, and the much-awaited Journal app.
The Journal App: Reflecting and Gratitude Through Journaling
Apple has introduced the Journal app, a long-awaited feature that aids iPhone users in reflecting and practicing gratitude through journaling. Using on-device machine learning, the app offers personalized writing suggestions based on various data types collected throughout the day, including photos, music, and podcasts. The app also provides predefined topics called Reflections, guiding users to write about specific experiences or memories. Users can create entries by writing, recording voice notes, taking photos, or recording videos to compile a personalized journal.
Spatial Video Recording for iPhone 15 Pro to Create Immersive 3D Memories
iOS 17.2 beta 2 introduces Spatial Video recording for iPhone 15 Pro users, allowing them to capture immersive 3D memories in landscape orientation. The feature is disabled by default but can be enabled in the Settings app, revealing a dedicated option in the Camera app during video shooting mode. Spatial videos are recorded at 30 frames per second at 1080p, providing a unique and immersive viewing experience, especially when using the Apple Vision Pro headset.
React with Live Stickers in Messages
Building on the Live Stickers feature introduced in iOS 17, beta 1 now enables users to react to texts in Messages with personalized Live Stickers. Users can create their own stickers from pictures they've taken and react to messages by long-pressing on a text and selecting "Add Sticker" from the dropdown menu.
Apple Music Collaboration Mode and Favourites Playlist
iOS 17.2 beta 1 introduces collaborative playlist creation on Apple Music, allowing multiple users to add to a shared playlist. It is finally possible to share the playlist with friends and other users. Users can create a link or use a QR code to invite others to join and contribute to the collaborative playlist. Additionally, favorited songs in the Apple Music app are now aggregated into a dedicated Favorites playlist for easy access.
More Memoji Customization
A new menu called "Body" in the Memoji editor allows users to edit the appearance of their Memoji's body, including waist, bust, shoulders, and arms. While currently offering a limited set of options, this feature adds another layer of personalization to the Memoji experience.
Action Button Tweaks: Start a Translation Session at the Fingertips
iOS 17.2 beta 1 users can now set the Action button to instantly initiate a translation session, expanding the functionality beyond existing options like Silent Mode, Focus, Camera, Flashlight, Voice Memo, Shortcut, and Accessibility settings.
New Widgets for Weather and Clock Apps
The beta also introduces new widgets for the Weather and Clock apps, offering a dedicated widget for sunrise/sunset times and a condensed small widget displaying upcoming weather conditions.
The iOS 17.2 beta 3 release brings quite a few exciting features and improvements, ranging from the introspective Journal app to the immersive Spatial Video recording and collaborative playlists in Apple Music. Users can look forward to a more personalized and enriched experience with these additions, making the iOS ecosystem even more appealing and user-friendly.
