iOS 17.2 has some new features that were promised when iOS 17 was introduced. With the Journal app, users can keep an encrypted diary: The app makes entries based on places visited, pictures taken and workouts.
IOS 17.2 also brings stereoscopic video recordings for the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, but these can only be viewed with the upcoming Apple Vision Pro headset. The update also improves the autofocus speed when shooting distant subjects with the telephoto lens.
In addition to the updates to the Journal app and the Camera app, iOS 17.2 offers translation support, triggered via the action button on the outside of the iPhone on the Pro models.
The update also offers new functions for the News app on the iPad and the Weather app. If you want, you can now jump to the first unread message in a Messages conversation, verify contacts and view advanced weather data such as precipitation forecasts.
Other improvements in iOS 17.2 include:
- Improved Siri support for health data recording
- Advanced airdrop content sharing options
- New digital clock widget
- Better autofill functionality for filling PDF forms
- Support for eight Sámi languages
- Compatibility with Qi2 chargers for older iPhones
The iOS 17.2 update is available for compatible iPhone models. Apple recommends that all users update to the new version as it also contains security updates. This also applies to iPadOS 17.2
The most serious iOS vulnerabilities addressed in this update are a bug in the Find My feature that would have allowed hackers to view sensitive location data, a kernel bug that allowed applications to break out of sandboxes, a bug Safari’s private mode, which allows access without authentication, and a Siri issue that could potentially allow attackers to access private data using voice commands. Another bug allows remote code execution if a user just opens a manipulated image.