Apple
5 Things to Know About the iOS 15.2 Update
Apple’s finally released the iOS 15.2 update for iPhone and the firmware brings a variety of changes to the company’s mobile devices.
iOS 15.2 is compatible with all iOS 15-powered phones which includes the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE 2, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and the iPhone 13 series.
Like iOS 15.1, iOS 15.2 is a milestone upgrade which means it has more than just bug fixes on board. It delivers a mix of new features, fixes, security patches, and enhancements to the iPhone.
With that in mind, we want to take you through everything you need to know about Apple’s new iOS 15.2 update for iPhone.
In this walkthrough we’ll take you through all of iOS 15.2’s changes, the software’s performance, iOS 15.2 problems, the iOS 15.2 jailbreak status, and more.
We’ll start with some quick thoughts on iOS 15.2’s performance.
iOS 15.2 Review
If your iPhone is currently running iOS 15.1.1 or iOS 15.1, you’ll see the smallest iOS 15.2 download size.
For iOS 15.1.1 users, the iOS 15.2 download is fairly large. It’s a 865MB download for iPhone 12 Pro users moving up from the previous version of iOS 15.
The exact iOS 15.2 download size depends on your iPhone model and the version of iOS it’s currently running. So if your iPhone is running an older version of iOS, you’ll probably see a bigger download because your iOS 15.2 update includes the changes from iOS updates you skipped.
If you’re moving up from iOS 15.1.1 or iOS 15.1, the installation process should take less than 10 minutes to complete. It took about seven minutes to install on an iPhone 12 Pro that was previously running iOS 15.1.1.
For more on the iOS 15.2 download and installation, take a look at our guide.
We’ve been using iOS 15.2 on a few iPhone models for several days now and here’s what we’ve learned about the software’s performance thus far:
Connectivity
- Battery life is currently stable.
- Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable.
- Bluetooth is working normally.
- GPS and cellular data are both stable.
App Performance
- Third-party apps including Netflix, Dark Sky, Twitter, Slack, Asana, Gmail, Chrome, and Spotify are working fine at the moment.
- First party apps like Safari, Podcasts, and Calendar are also stable.
Speed
- iOS 15.2 feels as fast as iOS 15.1.1 and iOS 15.1.
If you’re running into bugs or performance issues on iOS 15.1.1, iOS 15.1, or an older version of iOS, you might want to install the iOS 15.2 update on your iPhone right now.
If you need help making a decision, please check out our reasons to, and not to, install iOS 15.2.
iOS 15.2 Problems
iOS 15.2 is causing problems for some iPhone users. Some of these problems are brand new, others have carried over from iOS 15.1.1, iOS 15.1, and older versions of iOS.
The current list of iOS 15-related issues includes installation issues, UI lag, Exchange issues, problems with first and third-party apps, hotspot problems, touchscreen issues, issues with Touch ID and Face ID, charging issues, and stuttering.
If you run into problems on iOS 15.2, have a look at our list of fixes for the most common iOS 15 problems. We’ve also released tips that could help you improve your phone’s performance and tips that could help fix bad iOS 15 battery life.
Apple has stopped signing on iOS 15.1.1 and iOS 15.1 which means you can’t drop your phone’s software back to the previous version of iOS 15 if iOS 15.2 is causing problems. You can’t downgrade to anything older than iOS 15.1 either.
Keep this in mind if you’re having a good experience on iOS 15.1.1 or an older version of iOS. Once you make the move to iOS 15.2, you won’t be able to go back.
For more on the downgrade process, check out our guide.
iOS 15.2 Features: What’s New
Apple’s milestone updates almost always bring new features, security patches, and under-the-hood improvements to iPhone users and that’s what you’ll get from iOS 15.2.
Here’s the full iOS 15.2 change log:
Apple Music Voice Plan
- Apple Music Voice Plan is a new subscription tier that gives you access to all songs, playlists, and stations in Apple Music using Siri
- Just Ask Siri suggests music based on your listening history and likes or dislikes
- Play it Again lets you access a list of your recently played music
Privacy
- App Privacy Report in Settings lets you see how often apps have accessed your location, photos, camera, microphone, contacts and more during the last seven days, as well as their network activity
Messages
- Communication safety setting gives parents the ability to enable warnings for children when they receive or send photos that contain nudity
- Safety warnings contain helpful resources for children when they receive photos that contain nudity
Siri and Search
- Expanded guidance in Siri, Spotlight and Safari Search to help children and parents stay safe online and get help with unsafe situations
Apple ID
- Digital Legacy allows you to designate people as Legacy Contacts so they can access your iCloud account and personal information in the event of your death
Camera
- Macro photo control for switching to the Ultra Wide lens to capture macro photos and videos can be enabled in Settings on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
TV app
- Store tab lets you browse, buy, and rent movies and TV Shows all in one place
CarPlay
- Enhanced city map in Apple Maps with road details like turn lanes, medians, bike lanes, and pedestrian crosswalks for supported cities
Enhancements
- Hide My Email is available in the Mail app for iCloud+ subscribers to create unique, random email addresses
- Find My can locate iPhone for up to five hours when in Power Reserve
- Stocks allows you to view the currency for a ticker and see year-to-date performance when viewing charts
- Reminders and Notes now allow you to delete or rename tags
Bug Fixes
- Fixes an issue where Siri may not respond while VoiceOver is running and iPhone is locked
- Fixes an issue where ProRAW photos may appear overexposed when viewing in third-party photo editing apps
- Fixes an issue where HomeKit scenes that include a garage door may not run from CarPlay when your iPhone is locked
- Fixes an issue where CarPlay may not update Now Playing information for certain apps
- Fixes an issue where video streaming apps may not load content on iPhone 13 models
- Fixes an issue where Calendar events may appear on the wrong day for Microsoft Exchange users
iOS 15.2 also fixes an issue where Face ID got disabled on iPhone 13 models with third-party screen replacements.
According to Apple, iOS 15.2 also adds a new “iPhone parts and service history” section to the General section of the Settings application.
- For iPhone XR, XS, XS Max, and later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation), you can see if the battery has been replaced.
- For iPhone 11 models, iPhone 12 models, and iPhone 13 models, you can see if the battery or display have been replaced.
- For iPhone 12 models and iPhone 13 models, you can see if the battery, display, or camera have been replaced.
Apple also says you can now erase and reset a locked iPhone without having to connect it to a Mac or PC. This feature is only available for devices running iOS 15.2 and later.
According to ITHome, the iOS 15.2 update enables the ECG function for Apple Watch users in China.
iOS 15.2 also has 30+ new security patches on board and you can read all about those over on the company’s security site.
iOS 15.2 Jailbreak
If you still jailbreak, make sure you avoid the iOS 15.2 update.
The developer teams behind the Checkra1n and unC0ver jailbreaking tools have released versions that are compatible with newer versions of iOS 14, but only Checkra1n is compatible with iOS 14.5. They don’t support iOS 15.2, iOS 15.1.1, iOS 15.1, iOS 15.0.2, iOS 15.0.1, iOS 15.0, iOS 14.8, iOS 14.7.1, iOS 14.7, iOS 14.6, or iOS 14.5.1 yet.
The newest version of unC0ver is compatible with newer iPhones including the iPhone 12 series. That’s big news if you’ve been waiting to jailbreak your new phone. Unfortunately it’s only compatible with versions up to iOS 14.3.
There’s no way to downgrade your phone’s software to iOS 14.5 or older versions of iOS which means you’re out of luck if you upgrade, or you already upgraded to newer iOS software.
What’s Next
Apple’s confirmed a new version of iOS 15 for iPhone and iOS 15.3 is currently in beta ahead of its public release.
The company hasn’t confirmed a specific iOS 15.3 release date yet, but it should drop sometime in early 2022. We expect a release in January or February.
If your problems on iOS 15.2, or an older version of iOS, are really bad, you might try downloading the iOS 15.3 beta onto your iPhone right now.
For more on iOS 15.3 and the beta, have a peek at our walkthrough. For more about the iOS 15.3 release date, check out our guide.
Install iOS 15.8.2 for Better Security | |||||||||||||||
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If security is important to you, and you missed older versions of iOS 15, you'll want to think about installing Apple's iOS 15.8.2 update right away. iOS 15.8.2 doesn't have any security updates on board. But, if you missed prior versions of iOS 15, you'll get their patches when you upgrade. iOS 15.8.1 wasn't a big update, but it did have a pair of security patches on board. They're important and they will help protect your device from harm. iOS 15.8 had an important security patch on board. iOS 15.7.9 brought a new security patch with it. It addressed an issue where hackers could gain access via PassKit (Apple Wallet) image. For more information, head over to Apple's website. iOS 15.7.8 had 10 security patches on board. These patches are essential if you want to keep your device and its data safe from harm. Apple's outlined the changes in detail and they're worth a look. iOS 15.7.7 brought three security patches to iPhone models lingering on iOS 15. For more about them, head over to Apple's security site. iOS 15.7.6 had several security updates on board. For more information about those patches, head here. The iOS 15.7.5 update patched up actively exploited vulnerabilities making it an extremely important upgrade for your iPhone. To learn more about the patches, check out Apple's guide. iOS 15.7.4 brought important security fixes to older iPhone models as well. If you want to learn more about these changes, check out Apple's guide. iOS 15.7.3 also brought a batch of security patches to iPhone. You can learn more about these changes right here. iOS 15.7.2 brought numerous patches along with it. For more about them, head over to Apple's website for more details. iOS 15.7.1 update brought 17 security patches with it while iOS 15.7 delivered 11 security patches to iPhone. If you want a look at the details, head over to Apple's security site for more information. If you missed iOS 15.6.1, it had two security patches on board. You can read more about the pair on Apple's website. If you missed Apple's iOS 15.6 update, it had 30+ security upgrades on board. You can learn more about them right here. If you missed iOS 15.5 it brought 27 new security patches to the iPhone. You can learn more about these patches over on Apple's security site. If you missed iOS 15.4.1, it had one new security patch on board. You can read more about it over on Apple's website. If you missed the iOS 15.4 update, it had a whopping 36 new security patches on board. If you want to learn more about these patches, head on over to Apple's security site for the particulars. If you missed iOS 15.3.1, it had one security patch on board. For more about it, head over to Apple's security page. If you missed iOS 15.3, you'll also get its patches with your upgrade. iOS 15.3 brought 10 new security patches to iPhone users. If you're interested in the details, you can read more about them right here. If you missed iOS 15.2.1, you'll get its security patch with your upgrade. You can learn more about the change over on Apple's website. If you missed Apple's iOS 15.2 update, you'll get its 30+ security patches with your upgrade. You can read all about them over on the company's security site. iOS 15.2 also included some important upgrades to privacy. The software brought the company's App Privacy Report to Settings. This lets you see how often your apps have accessed your location, photos, camera, microphone, contacts and more during the last seven days. You can also see their network activity. In addition, iOS 15.2 brought Apple's communication safety features for kids. You'll find these features in the Messages app, in Siri, in Spotlight, and in Search. If you missed iOS 15.1, iOS 15.8.2 will bring its security patches to your iPhone. You can read more about them on Apple's website. If you missed iOS 15.0.2 you'll also get its security patch with your upgrade. You can learn more about it right here. iOS 15.0 also brought numerous security patches to your iPhone. If you'll be moving up from iOS 14 and you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's security website. Apple's updated its website with new information about iOS 15's batch of security patches. The company now says the software patched up an issue that could have exposed a user's private Apple ID information and in-app search history. It also says iOS 15 patched up an issue that allowed apps to override Privacy preferences. If you skipped iOS 14.8 or any older versions of iOS, you'll get the security patches from those updates with your iOS 15.8.2 update as well. In addition to those patches, iOS 15 comes with some security and privacy upgrades including improvements to Siri. Requests made to Siri are now processed on the device itself using Neural Engine. This makes it more secure. If you're an Apple Card user, you'll now get a security code that changes regularly to use when you make online transactions. Apple's also included a built-in authenticator that's similar to Google Authenticator. This will let you generate verification codes for enhanced sign-in security under your Passwords. There's also a Mail feature that hides your IP address. | |||||||||||||||
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