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.

iOS 18The iOS 18.2 release notes provide a look at all of the new features that are coming in the update, including Apple Intelligence additions that will be limited to newer iPhones, and changes that will be available to all iPhone users. Apple's full iOS 18.2 release notes:

Apple Intelligence (All iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max)

Image Playground- A new app that lets you use concepts, descriptions, and people from your photo library to create fun, playful images in multiple styles- Swipe through previews and choose from as you add concepts to your playground- Choose from animation and illustration styles when creating your image- Create images in Messages and Freeform, as well as third party apps- Images are synced in your Image Playground library across all your devices with iCloud

Genmoji- Genmoji allows you to create a custom emoji right from the keyboard- Genmoji are synced in your sticker drawer across all your devices with iCloud

ChatGPT support- ChatGPT from OpenAI can be accessed right from Siri or Writing Tools- Compose in Writing Tools allows you to create something from scratch with ChatGPT- Siri can tap into ChatGPT when relevant to provide you an answer- A ChatGPT account is not required and your requests will be anonymous and won't be used to train OpenAI's models- Sign in with ChatGPT to access your account benefits, and requests will be covered by OpenAI's data policies

- Image Wand turns sketches and handwritten or typed notes into images in Notes- Describe your change in Writing Tools allows you to suggest how you'd like something rewritten, for example as a poem- Camera Control (iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max)- Visual Intelligence with Camera Control helps you instantly learn about places or interact with information simply by pointing your iPhone at the object, with the option to tap into Google Search or ChatGPT- Camera Control two-stage shutter lets you lock focus and exposure in Camera when light pressing the Camera Control

Mail- Mail Categorization sorts your messages to help you prioritize the most important messages- Digest view groups all of the messages from one sender into a single bundle for easy browsing

Photos- Video viewing improvements, including the ability to scrub frame-by-frame and a setting to turn off auto-looping video playback- Improvements when navigating Collections views, including the ability to swipe right to go back to the previous view- Recently Viewed and Recently Shared album history can be cleared- Favorites album appears in the Utilities collection in addition to Pinned Collections

Safari- New background images to customize your Safari Start Page- Import and Export enables you to export your browsing data from Safari and import browsing data from another app into Safari- HTTPS Priority upgrades URLs to HTTPS whenever possible- File Download Live Activity shows the progress of a file download in the Dynamic Island and on your home screen

This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes:- Voice Memos supports layered recording, letting you add vocals over an existing song idea without the need for headphones -- then import your two-track projects directly into Logic Pro (iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max)- Share Item Location in Find My helps you locate and recover misplaced items by easily and securely sharing the location of an AirTag or Find My network accessory with trusted third parties, such as airlines- Natural language search in Apple Music and Apple TV app lets you describe what you're looking for using any combination of categories like genres, moods, actors, decades, and more- Favorite Categories in Podcasts allows you to choose your favorite categories and get relevant show recommendations that you can easily access in your Library- Personalized Search page in Podcasts highlights the most relevant categories and editorially curated collections tailored to you- Sudoku for News+ Puzzles p rovided in three difficulty levels and available for News+ subscribers- Support for the Hearing Test feature on AirPods Pro 2 in Cyprus, Czechia, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom- Support for the Hearing Aid feature on AirPods Pro 2 in United Arab Emirates- Pre-market price quotes in Stocks lets you track NASDAQ and NYSE tickers prior to market open- Fixes an issue where recently captured photos do not appear immediately in the All Photos grid- Fixes an issue where Night mode photos in Camera could appear degraded when capturing long exposures (iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max)

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/100100

Apple is expected to release iOS 18.2 on Monday, December 9. It will be accompanied by iPadOS 18.2, macOS Sequoia 15.2, tvOS 18.2, watchOS 11.2, HomePod Software 18.2, and visionOS 2.2.