Everything New in iOS 17.2 Beta 1: Journal App, Translate Action, iMessage Sticker Reactions and More

Apple today released the first beta of an upcoming iOS 17.2 update, and it adds a whole slew of features. You can now access the Journal app that Apple has been working on, and share playlists with friends so they can add songs.

iOS 17
iOS 17.2 is limited to developers right now, but it should soon be coming to public beta testers. We're expecting to see iOS 17.2 released to the public around November or December.

Journal App

iOS 17.2 includes the Journal app that Apple announced as part of iOS 17. With the Journal app, users can record their daily activities and thoughts, with Apple providing optional prompts that can be used as inspiration.

Journal App iOS 17 Feature Green
A Journal entry can be added by tapping on the "+" button in the Journal app, and from there, users can choose a suggestion as the basis for their writing or just opt for "New Entry" to write anything at all.

Entries are automatically tagged with a date for organizational purposes, but there are options for bookmarking, too. Journal entries can include images, voice recordings, and location tags.

Messages App Sticker Tapback Reactions

You can now long press on any chat bubble in the Messages app to add a sticker response that serves as an alternative to a tapback reaction. Tapping on "Add Sticker" lets you choose either a sticker or an emoji to apply to the corner of an iMessage.

ios 17 2 tapback reply sticker
There was already an option to drag a sticker or an emoji onto any message bubble, but this is a much quicker method of quickly responding to an incoming message with a quick graphic that is more expressive than a tapback reaction.

Collaborative Apple Music Playlists

There is now an option to create a playlist in Apple Music that multiple people can add to. In a playlist you have made, tap on the three dot icon in top right of the app.

apple music collaborative playlists
From there, select the Collaborate option and choose "Start Collaboration." You'll be able to create a link to the playlist, and anyone who has access to that link can add to it. You can also invite people to join via QR code, and if you want, you can approve each person that asks to join.

Favorites Apple Music Playlist

Songs that you have favorited in the ‌Apple Music‌ app are now aggregated into a Favorites playlist.

apple music favorite playlists

Apple Music Listening History Focus Filter

There is a Focus Filter for the ‌Apple Music‌ Listening History feature, so if you want to let someone else use your device to listen to music, you can activate this to turn off the Listening History so their song choices won't affect your recommendations.

ios 17 2 focus filters

Action Button Translate

iPhone 15 Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max users can now choose a new Translate option for the Action Button.

ios 17 translate
When the Action Button is set as Translate, pressing to hold causes the iPhone to pop up a Translate window that listens for spoken text. It is able to translate from one set language to another, using the languages that you have previously set up in the Translate app.

iMessage Contact Key Verification

First previewed in December 2022, iMessage Contact Key Verification is a feature designed for those who face "extraordinary digital threats," such as journalists, human rights activists, and government officials.

Apple advanced security iMessage Contact Key Verification screen Feature
Users can ensure that there is no "man in the middle" snooping on iMessage conversations, and there is a Contact Verification Code so that iMessage users can verify that they're speaking to the correct individual during in-person meetings or on FaceTime calls.

Messages in iCloud Syncing

The "Messages" section in iCloud in the Settings app has been renamed to "Messages in ‌iCloud‌." It shows the total amount of storage that messages are taking up, the number of messages synced to ‌iCloud‌, and the time of the last sync. There's also a "Sync Now" option to force an update.

ios 17 2 messages in icloud
Apple previously said that additional settings would be synced through Messages in ‌iCloud‌ in iOS 17, like Text Message Forwarding, Send & Receive accounts, and SMS filters across devices, so this may see those additional settings syncing.

Apple TV App

Apple has removed the separate tabs for Movies and TV shows in the Store section of the Apple TV app on the ‌iPhone‌ and the iPad. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said that Apple also plans to remove the option to purchase TV shows and movies from the iTunes app as part of a TV app redesign, but that has not yet happened.

ios 17 2 tv app

Emergency Alerts Local Awareness

Under Notifications > Emergency Alerts in the Settings app, there is a new "Local Awareness" option that can be turned on. Apple says that Local Awareness uses your approximate location to improve the timeliness, accuracy, and reliability of emergency alerts.

ios 17 2 emergency local awareness

Weather Widgets

There are new Details, Daily Forecast, and Sunrise/Sunset widgets. Detail shows information like precipitation chance, UV index, wind speed, and air quality, while Daily Forecast offers the weather for the next few days in a small widget size. Sunrise/Sunset shows the sunrise and sunset times for each day.

weather app widgets

Digital Clock Widget

There is a new Digital Clock widget that can be added to the Home Screen or Lock Screen.

ios 17 2 clock widget

Contact Posters

You can now select a rainbow-colored text for your name when setting up a Contact Poster in the Contacts app.

ios 17 2 contact poster rainbow

Books Page Turning Animation

There's a new "Fast Fade" option for the page turning animation in the Books app. Apple has also removed the icon that you could turn on to scroll through content quickly.

ios 17 2 page turn animation

AirPlay

There's a new "AirPlay Receiver" setting that will allow the upcoming Apple Vision Pro headset to stream or share content to an ‌iPhone‌.

ios 17 2 airplay handoff
It also looks like the ‌AirPlay‌ feature for hotels that Apple announced earlier this year is live or will be live soon. It is designed to let you ‌AirPlay‌ content from your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ to an AirPlay-equipped smart TV.

Memoji

Apple added a "Body" section for Memoji where users can customize waist, bust, shoulders, and arms.

ios 17 2 memoji body

News App

The News app now supports Live Activities for following news-related events such as elections.

ios 17 2 apple news live activities

More iOS 17.2 Beta 1 Features

Know of a feature that we left out in this list? Let us know in the comments below.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18

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

Monday December 9, 2024 10:06 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS 15.2 updates to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, a week after releasing the first RCs. The first iOS 18.2 RC had a build number of 22C150, while the second RC's build number is 22C151. Release candidates represent the final version of beta software that's expected to see a ...
Generic iOS 18

When Is iOS 18.2 Coming Out?

Tuesday December 10, 2024 1:43 am PST by
The next iOS 18.2 update featuring more substantial Apple Intelligence features will be released to the public before the holidays, according to Apple, but we have a more definite timeframe from other sources. In a newsroom article dated October 28 highlighting Apple Intelligence capabilities, Apple states that "new ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features will be available in December." Then in...
iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb 3

iPhone SE 4 Said to Feature 48MP Rear Lens, 12MP TrueDepth Camera

Monday December 9, 2024 4:48 am PST by
Apple's forthcoming iPhone SE 4 will feature a single 48-megapixel rear camera and a 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera on the front, according to details revealed in a new Korean supply chain report. ET News reports that Korea-based LG Innotek is the main supplier of the front and rear camera modules for the more budget-friendly ~$400 device, which is expected to launch in the first quarter of...
iOS 18

Here Are Apple's Full Release Notes for iOS 18.2

Thursday December 5, 2024 11:48 am PST by
Apple seeded the release candidate version of iOS 18.2 today, which means it's going to see a public launch imminently. Release candidates represent the final version of new software that will be provided to the public should no last minute bugs be found, and Apple includes release notes with the RC launch. The iOS 18.2 release notes provide a look at all of the new features that are coming...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

MacBook Pros With OLED Displays Won't Have a Notch, Roadmap Shows

Monday December 9, 2024 7:36 am PST by
Apple plans to remove the notch from the MacBook Pro in a few years from now, according to a roadmap shared by research firm Omdia. The roadmap shows that 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models released in 2026 will have a hole-punch camera at the top of the display, instead of a notch. It is unclear if there would simply be a pinhole in the display, or if Apple would expand the iPhone's...
New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Friday December 6, 2024 4:42 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls...
vipps nfc tap to pay iphone

World's First Apple Pay Alternative for iPhone Launches in Norway

Monday December 9, 2024 1:28 am PST by
Norwegian payment service Vipps has become the world's first company to launch a competing tap-to-pay solution to Apple Pay on iPhone, following Apple's agreement with European regulators to open up its NFC technology to third parties. Starting December 9, Vipps users in Norway can make contactless payments in stores using their iPhones. The service initially supports customers of SpareBank...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected Next Year: Here's What We Know

Thursday November 28, 2024 3:30 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

iPhone 17 'Air' Expected to Be ~2mm Thinner Than iPhone 16 Pro

Friday December 6, 2024 4:07 pm PST by
In 2025, Apple is planning to debut a thinner version of the iPhone that will be sold alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. This iPhone 17 "Air" will be about two millimeters thinner than the current iPhone 16 Pro, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The iPhone 16 Pro is 8.25mm thick, so an iPhone 17 that is 2mm thinner would come in at around 6.25mm. At 6.25mm,...

Top Rated Comments

groove-agent Avatar
15 months ago
Why isn't Journal released on MacOS? Journaling requires typing and MacOS is the best platform for typing. iOS is not. I must be missing something.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gaximus Avatar
15 months ago
This feel like a bigger update than iOS 17
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rti92391 Avatar
15 months ago

Who the heck has 33GB of iMessages? What are you getting sent 4K movies? Wow! That person seriously needs to delete their attachments! ?
Bruh

Attachment Image
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jimmyponi Avatar
15 months ago

Who the heck has 33GB of iMessages? What are you getting sent 4K movies? Wow! That person seriously needs to delete their attachments! ?
Take a breath before you see this ??

Attachment Image
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
McWetty Avatar
15 months ago

Who the heck has 33GB of iMessages? What are you getting sent 4K movies? Wow! That person seriously needs to delete their attachments! ?
I have 18.4Gb. And I delete a lot of stuff I don’t want/need. Photos (from newer iPhones especially) take up a bunch of space.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eastpointvet Avatar
15 months ago

Who the heck has 33GB of iMessages? What are you getting sent 4K movies? Wow! That person seriously needs to delete their attachments! ?
Let me tuck mine then

Attachment Image
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)