Discover the New Features of iOS 17.2 Beta 1 – Journal App, iMessage Sticker Reaction, and More

Apple has once again captivated its audience with its latest release. Shortly after the global launch of the iOS 17.1 update, Apple surprised developers with the release of the iOS 17.2 Beta 1 update, showcasing exciting features that will soon be available on iPhones. While the iOS 17.1 update didn’t introduce any new standalone features, the upcoming iOS 17.2 update promises to be a game-changer. In its initial beta version, Apple has already incorporated a plethora of new features, including the highly anticipated Journal app. Additionally, sticker reactions on iMessage and a new Translate feature for the Action Button have been introduced, among other exciting additions. Let’s delve deeper into these updates.

iOS 17.2 Beta 1 is here

It should be noted that iOS 17.2 Beta 1 is a developer version and has not yet been released to public beta testers. It is expected to be released to them within a week. The iOS 17.2 update should be available to the public by late November or early December.

Journal app: Apple announced it during WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) 2023 as a new app similar to Evernote where users can write journal entries, take notes and use it in many other ways. You can make a diary entry by tapping the “+” button in the diary app. After that, you can either select a suggested topic to start writing, or write down what’s on your mind in the “New Entry” entry. These entries can include photos, audio recordings and location identifiers. Entries are automatically dated to keep you organized, but you can also bookmark them.

Sticker Reaction in iMessage: Another cool feature that debuted in iOS 17.2 Beta 1 Developer is Sticker Reactions. It’s an alternative to the tapback reaction, and now, alongside emojis, you can also choose stickers to be added to the side of the message. Its use is quite simple. Just long press the message bubble and the option should pop up. Yes, you can already do this by dragging an emoji or sticker in a chat, but this allows you to send much faster reactions.

Translate with action button: iPhone 15 Pro and ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max owners can now select a new translate feature for the action button. Setting the function button to translate allows you to hold the button to launch the translate window on your iPhone. This window is designed to capture spoken text and can translate it seamlessly between the languages you specify in the Translator app.

Apple Music Updates: Apple Music is getting more updates. First, you now have playlists that multiple people can add songs to. It’s called a collaborative playlist, and you’ll find this option in the three-dot menu inside the playlist. It creates a linked playlist and anyone with the link can add songs to the playlist. In addition, you can also invite people using a QR code and maintain more control by approving who is allowed to add songs.

Next is the favorite playlist, which shows all the songs you’ve added to favorites. You can find this in the library section. Finally, there’s an option to turn off listening history so that when you let someone else play songs through your iPhone, it doesn’t affect your recommendations.

iMessage Contact Key Verification: iMessage Contact Key Verification was first introduced in December 2022 as a feature designed for those facing “exceptional digital threats,” such as journalists, human rights activists, and government officials. Such users can enable a connection verification code to ensure they are talking to the right person during face-to-face meetings and FaceTime calls.

Messages in iCloud: In iCloud’s Settings app, the “Messages” section has been renamed “Messages in iCloud‌.” When you go there, you’ll see how much space your messages are using, how many messages have been synced with iCloud, and the last sync time. And if you’re in a hurry to get things updated, there’s a nifty Sync Now option to give things a little boost.

Apple TV: The Apple TV app on ‌iPhone‌ and iPad no longer has separate tabs for movies and TV shows in the Store section. It appears to be due to a major redesign of the app.

Local awareness for emergency alerts: This feature is not yet available in India, but users can now enable local awareness for emergency alerts in the Notifications menu of the Settings app. It uses your location data to give you timely and more accurate alerts.

Weather widget: Apple has also introduced new weather widgets. You will now see widgets for daily forecasts and sunrise and sunset. In addition, there is a Detail widget that displays rain chance, UV index, wind speed and air quality information.

Digital Clock Widget: A new digital clock widget for home screen and lock screen has also been added.

Contact poster: Rainbow colored text has been added to the Contact poster for your name.

Book page turning animation: A quick fade animation for turning a book page has been added to the Books application.

Added updates and improvements to AirPlay, Memoji and News.