Everything New in iOS 15.2 Beta 2: Legacy Contacts, Hide My Email Improvements, and More

Apple today released the second beta of an upcoming iOS 15.2 update to developers for testing purposes, and the software update adds quite a few new features. This guide highlights everything new that we've found in the second iOS 15.2 beta.

iOS 15

Legacy Contacts

With Legacy Contacts, you can set a trusted person to be able to access your Apple ID and your data (or "Digital Legacy") after you die. The person that you designate as your contact can access your photos, messages, notes, files, contacts, calendar events, apps, device backups, and more. iCloud Keychain passwords remain inaccessible, as does licensed media.

legacy contact 2
The Legacy Contact option can be accessed by opening up the Settings app, selecting "Password & Security," and choosing "‌Legacy Contact‌" from the list. From there, you can select a trusted person to access your account after you pass away.

Find My Lost Item Scanning

In the Find My app, Apple has added a new option for "Items That Can Track Me." Tapping on this allows users to search for nearby items that might be used to track their location.

apple unknown items scan
When activated, the Unknown Items feature scans for anything that's nearby, and will let users know either way if there's a device that belongs to someone else nearby. If an item is detected, Apple offers instructions on how to disable the device so that it can no longer be used for tracking purposes.

There's also a "Help Return Lost Items" option that also scans for nearby devices that might be lost, and it works similarly to the tracking scan. If a lost device is found, Apple provides instructions on how to find who it belongs to.

iPadOS TV app

In iPadOS 15, Apple has introduced a new design for the TV app. The TV app features a sidebar, which makes navigation between the various sections of the TV app simpler.

tv app design ios 15 2
In iOS 15.2, there's a dedicated "Store" tab in the TV app for accessing movies and TV shows that can be purchased. The new design and the addition of a Store tab may help separate Apple TV+ content from paid content, as the existing design has been confusing for some users.

tv app store tab ios 15 2

Always-On Dark Mode for CarPlay Maps App

Code in iOS 15.2 suggests that there's a new option to turn Dark Mode on permanently for the CarPlay Maps app.

Hide My Email in the Mail App

You can use Hide My Email directly from the Mail app after installing the iOS 15.2 beta. When composing an email, just tap on the "From" field and select the "Hide My Email" option to generate a random email address.

ios15 mail privacy feature
Hide My Email is available to everyone who has an ‌iCloud‌+ plan, and it's a useful feature for protecting your email address.

All the emails sent to the random Apple-created email address are forwarded to you so you can respond if needed, but the person on the receiving end does not see your real email address. And if you start getting spam emails from someone, you can just delete the email address and put a stop to it.

Display Repair Restriction Changes

Apple today told The Verge that it is introducing a software update that will change an iPhone 13 policy that caused Face ID to be non-functional when repairs were made to a broken display. Apple has a microcontroller that pairs the ‌iPhone 13‌ to its display, and when performing a display repair, the microcontroller must be paired to the display using Apple's tools.

Independent repair shops do not have access to those tools, and they were upset about being unable to easily perform display repairs. Apple is removing the microcontroller pairing requirement that disabled ‌Face ID‌ for ‌iPhone 13‌ models with swapped displays, and code suggests that the change is in the iOS 15.2 beta.

Communication Safety

With the second beta of iOS 15.2, Apple is enabling Communication Safety in Messages for children. The feature is designed to scan incoming messages on children's devices for nudity, and it is opt-in and must be enabled by parents. It is limited to the accounts of children and is not the same as the CSAM functionality that Apple still has in development.

communication safety 1

Bugs

Apple says there are a few remaining bugs in the beta. Streaming in the Music app can cause higher CPU usage and faster battery drain, and users who import a verifiable vaccination record are not able to add it to the Wallet app at this time.

Macro Mode Toggle

iOS 15.2 adds a manual toggle for Macro mode, in the form of a flower icon that can be tapped to toggle Macro mode off when the camera is close to an object.

To get the option of the new toggle, users need to go to Settings, navigate to Camera, and turn off Auto Macro. Then, when close enough to an object, the toggle will appear automatically. Apple has also added new Preserve Settings for Auto Macro.

Guide Feedback

See a new feature in iOS 15.2 that's not listed here? Let us know in the comments.

Related Forum: iOS 15

Top Rated Comments

simon3163 Avatar
31 months ago
So I can sit on a train and disable everyone’s AirTags ???!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MaskedCarrot Avatar
31 months ago
"Always-On Dark Mode for CarPlay Maps App"

How about a toggle in Maps between light and dark mode on the phone.

I have my phone set to Dark Mode, but I can't stand how the Maps is always on Dark mode also unless I change the whole system to light mode. During the day, it's really hard to read the maps on the phone in Dark mode.

So it would be nice if Apple would put a toggle in their apps that let you toggle between Light and Darks modes independently of how you have iOS set.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Prof. Avatar
31 months ago
After i die, can i set up an option to nuke all my data? On all my devices?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
840quadra Avatar
31 months ago

Display Repair Restriction Changes

Apple today told The Verge that it is introducing a software update ('https://www.macrumors.com/2021/11/09/apple-lifting-iphone-13-display-restrictions/') that will change an iPhone 13 policy that caused Face ID to be non-functional when repairs were made to a broken display. Apple has a microcontroller that pairs the iPhone 13 to its display, and when performing a display repair, the microcontroller must be paired to the display using Apple's tools.

Independent repair shops do not have access to those tools, and they were upset about being unable to easily perform display repairs. Apple is removing the microcontroller pairing requirement that disabled Face ID for iPhone 13 models with swapped displays, and code suggests that the change is in the iOS 15.2 beta.
This is AWESOME to hear! Horray Apple for properly reacting to this issue. As a legacy Apple device owner, I enjoy my ability to repair my, and friend's phones, Macs, and other equipment.

This is Awesome!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bkaus Avatar
31 months ago

So I can sit on a train and disable everyone’s AirTags ???!
Sounds like you can find them. But I think the disable instructions involve removing the battery. So that gets awkward.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LogicalApex Avatar
31 months ago

As I understood it you can only receive email sent to those addresses, forwarded to your Apple ID address, or one of your choice, but not reply from your randomly_generated_cupertino_solid_state@icloud.com? ?
You can reply from the hidden email. You cant initiate from it, but it sounds like that is changing in 15.2.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...