iOS 18.2 rolled out recently, introducing new features like Visual Intelligence and Image Playground. The AI updates may have taken center stage, but the patch also added several quality-of-life improvements to iPhones that you may not be aware of. They range from changing the layout of the Lock Screen to additional controls on the Photos app. The patch is quite large, so instead of going through every single update, we will highlight the most impactful changes.
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After you’re done reading, 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 a phone capable of supporting iOS 18, like the iPhone 13 Pro. Note that the Apple Intelligence features are exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 16 series. Unfortunately, older models don’t support them.
1. New layout controls
Starting with iOS 18.2, Apple finally allows users to arrange app icons in whatever order they please. Apps no longer automatically snap to a strict grid when moved, so you can leave some room open for the background wallpaper.
Dark mode can also be applied to said Home Screen. Doing so darkens the wallpaper and changes the backgrounds for first-party apps from white to black. The dock at the bottom even becomes a dark gray. It’s possible to keep the dark apps while reverting the wallpaper to Light mode by tapping the sun icon.
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There’s also a Tinted option now. This lets you “paint” all the app icons on the Home Screen to a single color, be it red, blue, or green. iOS 18.2 lets people alter the luminosity as well. So you can either have icons sporting a rich hue or a pale one.
Other notable changes include larger icons and the ability to alter the Control Center.
2. Cleaning up the Photos app
On the Photos app, the Recently Viewed and Recently Shared albums can be wiped clean. Tap the three dots in the upper right corner to open a drop-down menu when looking at an image. Select “Removed All From Recently Viewed” (or Recently Shared if looking at that album) to wipe everything out. Don’t worry about losing photos; it leaves the original file alone.
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If you prefer clearing out an album one image at a time, you tap and hold the photo instead, then tap “Remove From Recently Viewed” in the context menu. Moreover, Apple is allowing users to disable the auto-loop function on Photos. The tool, in case you need a refresher, automatically restarts video playback once a clip finishes. This toggle can be found by heading to the Apps section of the Settings menu. Select Photos and hit the Loop Videos switch down near the bottom to turn it off.
3. Camera Control improvements
While we’re on the topic of photography, this next feature is reportedly exclusive to the iPhone 16 line. Owners of the recent series can restrict the Camera Control button so that it only works when the screen is turned on. This helps prevent accidental presses while holding the iPhone horizontally (of course, this doesn’t address accidental presses while watching a movie, so there is room for improvement).
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The option is located at the bottom of the Display and Brightness section inside the Settings menu. Just hit the toggle switch, and you’re set. At the time of writing, it is unknown if the iPhone 15 series will also have this security feature. It is still a problem with the older models, so it would be great to see Apple expand the fix. Until then, Reddit users suggest changing the button’s activation gesture to double-click in Settings.
4. Expanding Find My
Apple’s Find My feature is a handy tool for locating AirTags attached to lost items. As part of iOS 18.2, the tech giant is allowing users to share the location of an AirTag 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 once you find the AirTag on your iPhone, you “tap the item that you want to share location updates for,” then select Share Item Location. This creates a temporary webpage with a link you can share with an airline. Each airline has a different way of receiving the generated link. United Airlines, for example, asks people to submit the link to “delayed baggage report” to its official mobile app. It’s recommended that you check with your airline on how to share the information.