Apple Seeds Release Candidate Versions of iOS 18.2 and More With Genmoji, Image Playground and ChatGPT Integration

Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 updates to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, two weeks after releasing the fourth betas. Alongside the release candidate versions of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac operating system updates, Apple has also seeded the watchOS 11.2, tvOS 18.2, and HomePod Software 18.2 RCs. Release candidates represent the final version of beta software that's expected to see a public release should no notable bugs be found.

Generic iOS 18
With iOS 18.2 and its sister updates, Apple is continuing to test the next phase of Apple Intelligence, with several new features available for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

Image Playground

Image Playground is Apple's image generation app, and it can create images based on prompts. You can enter a description of what you want or use the built-in suggestions and concepts that Apple provides. Apple will suggest costumes, locations, items, and more to add to an image, and these concepts are intelligent and can draw inspiration from a Messages thread or content in the Notes app.

There are options to create characters that resemble your friends and family, and you can choose a photo for ‌Image Playground‌ to use as inspiration to create a related image. Elements added to ‌Image Playground‌ creations are previewed, and there is a preview history so you can undo a change and go back to a prior version.

While ‌Image Playground‌ is a standalone app, it is also integrated into Messages. ‌Image Playground‌ does not make photorealistic images and is instead limited to animation or illustration styles.

Image Wand

Image Wand is an Image Playground-related feature that's available in the Notes app. You can draw a rough sketch with the Apple Pencil or circle a blank space or a key phrase in a note to have ‌Image Wand‌ generate an appropriate image.

Genmoji

Genmoji are custom emoji characters that you can create based on descriptions and phrases. Like ‌Image Playground‌ creations, you can base them on your friends and family, with the data pulled from the People album in Photos. You can also make characters using basic elements, and you'll get multiple ‌Genmoji‌ suggestions to choose from. You can create ‌Genmoji‌ using the emoji keyboard.

‌Genmoji‌ are limited iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 right now, but will be coming to ‌macOS Sequoia‌ later.

Siri ChatGPT Integration

Siri can integrate with ChatGPT for certain requests, but only with user approval. If ‌Siri‌ is unable to provide an answer to a query, ‌Siri‌ will hand the request over to ChatGPT. ChatGPT's answer will then be provided by ‌Siri‌.

ChatGPT can be used to create content from scratch, including text and images. No account is required to use ChatGPT integration, and Apple and OpenAI do not store requests.

Visual Intelligence

iPhone 16 users have access to Visual Intelligence, a feature that provides information about what's around you. If you open the camera and point it at a restaurant, for example, you'll see opening hours and reviews.

Some other ‌Visual Intelligence‌ capabilities include reading text out loud, detecting phone numbers and addresses to add them to Contacts, copying text, and summarizing text. There is an option to search Google for where to buy a specific item that you see, and you can also point the camera at something and then get more information about it from ChatGPT.

Apple plans to expand this feature to include more functionality over time.

Writing Tools

Apple is enhancing the Writing Tools feature to add an option to make more open-ended changes. In iOS 18.1 and its sister updates, Writing Tools can only be used to change the tone to friendly, professional, and a more simplified version. In iOS 18.2, you can describe the tone or content change that you want to make, such as adding more action words, or turning an email into a poem.

More Languages

‌Apple Intelligence‌ has gained support for localized English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, and the U.K., in addition to U.S. English.

Wait List

If you've already been testing ‌Apple Intelligence‌ and are opted in, you will have access to Writing Tools, ChatGPT integration, and ‌Visual Intelligence‌ automatically.

There is a secondary waiting list for early access to use ‌Genmoji‌, ‌Image Playground‌, and ‌Image Wand‌. You can sign up to get access in ‌Image Playground‌ or in the areas where you access ‌Genmoji‌ or ‌Image Wand‌.

When you request access, you are added to a wait list for all three capabilities and you'll get a notification when the features are available for you to use. Apple is rolling out access to the new image generation features over the coming weeks.

Availability and Compatibility

The iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.2 are available on all devices, but the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features require a device capable of ‌Apple Intelligence‌. Apple is still working on refining the new ‌Apple Intelligence‌ tools, and the company warns that ‌Genmoji‌, ‌Image Wand‌, and ‌Image Playground‌ can sometimes give you results you weren't expecting. Apple is collecting feedback on these experiences and will refine them over time.

‌Apple Intelligence‌ requires an iPhone 15 Pro or any ‌iPhone 16‌ model, an ‌iPad‌ with an M-series chip or an A17 Pro chip, or a Mac with an M-series chip.

Release Date

Apple is expected to release the iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.2, watchOS 11.2, tvOS 18.2, and visionOS 2.2 updates next week.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia

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Top Rated Comments

Realityck Avatar
14 weeks ago
Released today to devs and PB testers
iOS 18.2 RC (22C150) - December 5, 2024
iPadOS 18.2 RC (22C150) - December 5, 2024
iPadOS 17.7.3 RC (21H312) - December 5, 2024
macOS 15.2 RC (24C98) - December 5, 2024
tvOS 18.2 RC (22K154) - December 5, 2024
watchOS 11.2 RC (22S99) - December 5, 2024
visionOS 2.2 RC (22N840) - December 5, 2024
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dominiongamma Avatar
14 weeks ago
In a parallel universe, this would have been released with iOS 18 on day 1
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Oestreich Dieter Avatar
14 weeks ago

It is better for Apple to release the features that they know are stable and actually work, rather than rush features out the door in a day 0 release that will only just end up requiring a billion updates to fix just to appeal to a minority.

What I'm saying is, it's a good thing Apple didn't rush Apple Intelligence's features out with the 18.0 release. Features will arrive when they arrive. It's not like you're somehow going to die if you don't have them.
We went 17 years worth of iPhones without these "intelligence" features. Now people are dooming and glooming because its not being rolled out all at once. You will survive without them for a few more months people, I promise.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
14 weeks ago
The long awaited RCs finally arrive
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tywebb13 Avatar
14 weeks ago
ios and ipados 18.2 rc build is 22C150

macos Sequoia 15.2 rc build is 24C98

tvos and audioos 18.2 rc build is 22K154

watchos 11.2 rc build is 22S99

visionos 2.2 rc is build 22N840

there is also a ipados 17.7.3 rc build 21H312

also macos Sonoma 14.7.2 rc 4 build 23H311 and macos Ventura 13.7.2 rc 4 build 22H313

The Sequoia RC has ipsw https://updates.cdn-apple.com/2024FallFCS/fullrestores/072-38683/C48192CB-7F42-4DD2-9EE6-0F6691DC088E/UniversalMac_15.2_24C98_Restore.ipsw but they probably won't make full installer this time till public release
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eveluvsrainbows Avatar
14 weeks ago

In a parallel universe, this would have been released with iOS 18 on day 1
It is better for Apple to release the features that they know are stable and actually work, rather than rush features out the door in a day 0 release that will only just end up requiring a billion updates to fix just to appeal to a minority.

What I'm saying is, it's a good thing Apple didn't rush Apple Intelligence's features out with the 18.0 release. Features will arrive when they arrive. It's not like you're somehow going to die if you don't have them.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)