4 iPhone settings to explore after installing iOS 18.2

Apple’s iOS 18.2 update brings significant improvements to iPhone functionality, including new Home Screen customization options, photo management features, camera controls, and expanded Find My capabilities.

Core update overview: iOS 18.2 delivers both AI features and quality-of-life improvements, with notable changes affecting device customization and usability.

• The update requires an iPhone 13 Pro or newer model
• AI features like Visual Intelligence and Image Playground are exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 series
• Installation is available through Settings > General > Software Update

Home Screen customization enhancements: Apple introduces unprecedented flexibility in how users can arrange and display their apps.

• Users can now freely arrange app icons without adhering to a strict grid system
• A new dark mode option specifically for the Home Screen darkens wallpaper and app backgrounds
• The “Tinted” feature allows users to apply uniform colors to app icons with adjustable luminosity
• Control Center modifications and larger icon options are also available

Photo management improvements: The Photos app receives new organization and control features to enhance user experience.

• Users can now clear Recently Viewed and Recently Shared albums without affecting original files
• Individual photos can be removed from these albums through a new context menu
• The auto-loop video playback function can be disabled through Settings

Camera control updates: New security features aim to prevent accidental camera activation, though with some limitations.

• iPhone 16 series users can restrict Camera Control button functionality to active screen only
• The feature addresses accidental horizontal presses
• Earlier iPhone models can utilize a double-click workaround through Settings

Find My expansion: Apple enhances its location tracking service with new airline integration capabilities.

• Users can share AirTag locations with 15 major airlines including United, Delta, and British Airways
• The system generates a temporary webpage link for sharing location updates
• Implementation varies by airline, requiring users to check specific carrier protocols

Looking ahead: While these updates represent meaningful improvements to iPhone functionality, some limitations remain, particularly regarding camera control availability across different iPhone models. The selective rollout of features between iPhone generations suggests Apple’s strategy of using software updates to differentiate its hardware tiers, though this may frustrate owners of older devices.