The initial iOS 18.2 beta brought with it a bunch of new changes and features, headlined by the second phase of the Apple Intelligence rollout. In the second beta, Apple continues to develop Apple Intelligence, but we also find a few other notable additions, such as a lock on AE/AF camera controls for iPhone 16 users, lost item tracking, and the ability to turn off video looping in the Photos app. Check out the full video tutorial for more details.
What's New in iOS 18.2 beta 2
My colleague Ryan has provided an excellent summary of what's new in iOS 18.2 beta 2, so I encourage you to read his post on the public beta release. Along with my in-depth video, which covers about 20 new changes and features, I wanted to just touch on a few highlights.
Video: iOS 18.2 beta 2 Changes and Features
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Disable video looping
With the release of iOS 18, Apple made it so that all videos played in the stock Photos app would loop continuously. While I generally approve of the change, not everyone wants it, so it’s nice to see that iOS 18.2 now includes an option to turn off the loop. To find the option, go to Settings → All Apps → Photos and toggle off Loop.
AE/AF Lock with Camera Controls
The next noteworthy feature in the iOS 18.2 beta 2 update is something Apple teased during its iPhone 16 keynote — the ability to enable AE/AF lock with a continuous light press of the camera control button.
Of course, AE stands for automatic exposure, and AF stands for automatic focus. Locking these attributes allows both the current exposure and focus to be locked, even if you recompose your shot or introduce different lighting conditions into the photo. iPhone users have long been able to lock these values by long-pressing on a subject in the frame, but having such a feature assigned directly to the button is even better.
Using the camera control button, users can keep their hands on the camera, which can help reduce shake and distractions. It also means that it is much easier to reset the exposure and focus, since the setting is no longer locked and can be quickly reset by releasing the camera control button.
Share item location
The last major feature I’ll highlight from iOS 18.2 beta 2 is the new Share Item Location feature found in the Find My app. This feature allows users to generate a link that will allow other users and companies like airlines to track lost items as well.
Share Item Location works with AirTags and presumably other third-party accessories that are compatible with FindMy. The link is active for seven days and automatically expires once the item is found.
This feature could be very handy for tracking lost luggage, and based on Apple’s illustration in the Find My app, this will be one of the main use cases for the feature. The user will be able to track how many people have viewed the link and can disable the element's location at any time.
Related videos: iOS 18.2 beta 1 hands-on
9to5Mac's Take
These three features are just a small taste of what's new in iOS 18.2 beta 2. Watch the full hands-on video tutorial for a detailed look at everything new. Also, be sure to check out my review of the first beta to get a better understanding of all the new Apple Intelligence features in the Phase 2 rollout.
What do you think of iOS 18.2 beta 2? Let us know in the comments below.
