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Apple surprised everyone with the release of iOS and iPadOS 15.2 on December 13, 2021. Here's what you'll get with the latest version of Apple's operating system, which you can download to your iPhone and iPad right now.
What's New in iOS and iPadOS 15.2?
On iPhone and iPad, Apple is bringing some pretty exciting features with iOS and iPadOS 15.2. First, it brings with it the App Privacy Report, which is designed to tell you what permissions the apps installed on your device use. If you're the type of person who keeps every app you ever installed on your phone, this feature is great for you.
There's also Apple's Digital Legacy program that lets you decide who can access your data if you die. Obviously, this is something we'd prefer not to think about, but with so much of our lives wrapped up in our devices, it's an important step to take.
The update also rolls our Apple's cheaper Voice Plan for Apple Music. It costs $4.99 per month, but you can only control your music with your voice. If that's a tradeoff that sounds worthwhile to you, you must update to iOS 15.2 to get it.
Apple is also adding some safety features to iOS 15.2, including one that'll blur potentially explicit photos sent to minors and prompt minors before they send any images that could be sensitive in nature. The full child sexual abuse material (CSAM) scanner isn't part of this update, but this seems like the first step for Apple.
If you own an iPhone 13 Pro and were having issues with the macro mode, this update fixes the problem by allowing you to simply turn the mode on and off with a button. This will remove all of the guesswork, so you can have better control over the images you take.
Some other smaller features include Hide My Email coming to the Mail app for iCloud+ subscribers, Find My can now locate iPhone for up to five hours when in Power Reserve, Stocks now allows you to view the currency for a ticker and see its year-to-date performance, and Reminders and Notes now allow you to delete or rename tags.
How to Update Your iPhone or iPad to iOS and iPadOS 15.2
As always, updating your iPhone or iPad is a painless process. Simply head to Settings, tap "General," then touch "Software Update." If the update has rolled out to your device, tap "Download & Install" to begin the process and you'll have the latest version of iOS before you know it.