Apple Seeds Release Candidate Versions of iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 to Developers

Apple today seeded the release candidate versions (RCs) of upcoming iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the the fourth betas of iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2. The RCs represent the final version of the software that is expected to be provided to the public.

iOS 17
Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the ‌iOS 17 or iPadOS 17‌ Developer Beta. An Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

The biggest new feature in iOS 17.2 is the Journal app, which can be used to record daily activities and thoughts. You can write about your day to day life, but Apple also provides topic suggestions based on the music you listen to, the places you visit, and the people you see. Journal entries support pictures, voice recordings, and location information, with the app organized by entry date.

In Apple Music, there's a Favorites playlist that houses everything you've favorited, plus Apple added support for collaborative playlists. You can now share a playlist with multiple people, and each participant can add songs.

Stickers can now be used to reply to iMessages when you long press on a chat bubble in the Messages app, and there's also now support for the extra-secure iMessage Contact Key Verification option. If you have an iPhone 15 Pro, the Action Button supports Translate in iOS 17.2, and there are new Weather and Clock widgets. Apple's full release notes for the update are below.

This update introduces Journal, an all-new way to reflect on life’s moments and preserve your memories. This release also includes Action button and Camera enhancements, as well as other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your iPhone.

Journal
- Journal is a new app that lets you write about the small moments and big events in your life so you can practice gratitude and improve your wellbeing
- Journaling suggestions make it easy to remember your experiences by intelligently grouping your outings, photos, workouts, and more into moments you can add to your journal
- Filters let you quickly find bookmarked entries or show entries with attachments so you can revisit and reflect on key moments in your life
- Scheduled notifications help you keep a consistent journaling practice by reminding you to write on the days and time you choose
- Option to lock your journal using Touch ID or Face ID
iCloud sync keeps your journal entries safe and encrypted on iCloud

Action Button
- Translate option for the Action button on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max to quickly translate phrases or have a conversation with someone in another language

Camera
- Spatial video lets you capture video on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max so you can relive your memories in three dimensions on Apple Vision Pro
- Improved Telephoto camera focusing speed when capturing small faraway objects on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max

Messages
- Catch-up arrow lets you easily jump to your first unread message in a conversation by tapping the arrow visible in the top-right corner
- Add sticker option in the context menu lets you add a sticker directly to a bubble
- Memoji updates include the ability to adjust the body shape of any Memoji
- Contact Key Verification provides automatic alerts and Contact Verification Codes to help verify people facing extraordinary digital threats are messaging only with the people they intend

Weather
- Precipitation amounts help you stay on top of rain and snow conditions for a given day over the next 10 days
- New widgets let you choose from next-hour precipitation, daily forecast, sunrise and sunset times, and current conditions such as Air Quality, Feels Like, and wind speed
- Wind map snapshot helps you quickly assess wind patterns and access the animated wind map overlay to prepare for forecasted wind conditions for the next 24 hours
- Interactive moon calendar lets you easily visualize the phase of the moon on any day for the next month

This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes:
- Siri support for privately accessing and logging Health app data using your voice
- AirDrop improvements including expanded contact sharing options and the ability to share boarding passes, movie tickets, and other eligible passes by bringing two iPhones together
- Favorite Songs Playlist in Apple Music lets you quickly get back to the songs you mark as favorites
- Use Listening History in Apple Music can be disabled in a Focus so music you listen to does not appear in Recently Played or influence your recommendations
- A new Digital Clock Widget lets you quickly catch a glimpse of the time on your Home Screen and while in StandBy
- Enhanced AutoFill identifies fields in PDFs and other forms enabling you to populate them with information such as names and addresses from your contacts
- New keyboard layouts provide support for 8 Sámi languages
- Sensitive Content Warning for stickers in Messages prevents you from being unexpectedly shown a sticker containing nudity
- Qi2 charger support for all iPhone 13 models and iPhone 14 models
- Fixes an issue that may prevent wireless charging in certain vehicles

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

Apple is expected to release iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 to the public next week.

Related Roundups: iOS 17, iPadOS 17
Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Top Rated Comments

coffeemilktea Avatar
3 days ago at 10:45 am

The biggest new feature in iOS 17.2 is the Journal app, which can be used to record daily activities and thoughts.
You guys need a journal app for writing down every random thought? I've just been using Twitter. ?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nortonandreev Avatar
3 days ago at 10:42 am

Woohoo! Hopefully means GM next week!
This is the RC (what used to be GM in the past). Next week, the official release should be out.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NightfallOrchid Avatar
3 days ago at 10:50 am

GM follows RC, so they were correct.
There are no more GMs, that term has been replaced with RC, which is then followed by the public release.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
poseidondev Avatar
2 days ago at 11:39 am

An RC can be superseded. A GM isn’t. So the fact that they are one and the same the majority of the time doesn’t mean they ARE the same all the time.
A GM can have a succeeding version as well. Apple simply has retired the GM terminology in favor of RC because the latter isn’t racially loaded.

This change was made a couple of years ago and announced in the developer beta release notes.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xpxp2002 Avatar
3 days ago at 10:37 am
Woohoo! Hopefully means GM next week!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Böhme417 Avatar
2 days ago at 12:09 pm

Yeah - that's the bummer.Maybe others do, but personally, journaling should have a proper Keyboard.
I know it's only for iPhone... at least for now.

This is why 16.2 is not so interesting for me.

Maybe in the next OS iterations they will bring Journaling to iPad and Mac in a very Apple-like move...
Anyway, sticking to DayOne - still a beatiful app with a very low monthly subscription.
Well, it only took 12 years for the weather app to come to iPad. I don't understand the journal app, though. I feel like it makes the most sense for the iPad than anywhere else—use a keyboard, use your Apple pencil, etc.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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