Apple releases iOS 17.2 with new Journal app

Apple has released iOS 17.2, a significant update introducing the highly anticipated Journal app, among other notable features. This marks the second major update since the release of iOS 17.1 in late October. Following a series of beta tests, iOS 17.2 is now available for public installation on compatible iPhone models.

The highlight of this release is the new Journal app, a platform for users to document their daily experiences, complete with optional prompts for inspiration. Entries are automatically date-stamped for organizational ease. Entries can include a variety of media such as images, voice recordings, and location tags. This multimedia approach allows users to capture the essence of their day in a more comprehensive and dynamic manner. The app offers a versatile and personalized way for users to reflect on their moments.

Additionally, Apple Music gets improvements, including a Favorites playlist that consolidates user-favorited songs. This feature intelligently gathers songs favorited by the user into a dedicated playlist, streamlining access to preferred tracks. A Focus Filter for the Apple Music Listening History allows users to toggle off song tracking, maintaining a cleaner history by excluding played tracks. By toggling on the Focus Filter, users can prevent songs played by themselves or others from being added to the Listening History.

The Messages app now features a sticker response option, enabling users to add expressive stickers or emojis to messages instead of traditional tapback reactions. Furthermore, iMessage Contact Key Verification ensures secure and private communication by allowing users to verify each other's identity.

iOS 17.2 brings new Weather Widget options. These include "Details" and "Daily Forecast" widgets, providing users with a quick and concise overview of various weather-related information. The "Details" widget offers in-depth insights such as precipitation chance, UV index, wind speed, and air quality. On the other hand, the "Daily Forecast" widget presents the weather conditions for the upcoming days in a compact format.

A "Sunrise/Sunset" widget has also been introduced, offering users the sunrise and sunset times for each day. Several other enhancements include a digital clock widget, Fast Fade page-turning animation in the Books app, new Memoji Bodies, Live Activities support in the News app, and a rainbow-colored text option for Contact Posters.

The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max receive a new Translate option triggered by the Action Button. These models also get Spatial video recording capabilities, with fully immersive recordings viewable on the Apple Vision Pro headset.

To manually update to iOS 17.2, users can navigate to Settings -> General -> Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions.