iOS 15.2 Added 7 New Features to the iPhone

Apple released iOS 15.2 in December 2021 as a point update to its mobile operating system. Like its predecessor, iOS 15.1, the update added a host of new features to the iPhone. Some of the new iOS 15.2 features included App Privacy Reports, Parts and Service history, and the official debut of Apple Music’s Voice subscription plan.

Here, we’ll look at seven exciting features iOS 15.2 added to the iPhone.

1. App Privacy Report

App Privacy Report was one of the most exciting features that iOS 15.2 brought to the table. It’s a privacy-focused feature showing how often different apps have accessed your device sensors and data. This includes sensitive data like your location, images, contacts, and sensors like your microphone, among others.

If, for instance, you’ve granted an app access to your location, you can find out the number of times it accessed your location data in the past seven days, and the specific times it did so.

App Privacy Report was initially expected to ship with the major iOS 15 update in September 2021, but that didn’t happen. Fortunately, it was added to iOS 15.2, giving you a chance to check all the insights into how apps are accessing your data. For starters, here are some tips on how to use App Privacy Report.

2. Apple Music Voice Plan

The Apple Music Voice Plan is an additional plan for Apple Music subscribers that can be accessed exclusively using Siri. Unlike existing Apple Music plans, the Voice Plan allows you to listen to the entire Apple Music library using only voice commands.

For instance, the “Play It Again” voice command will let Siri access music from your recent music listening history. The voice-only plan is excellent if you regularly use a HomePod or Apple CarPlay for listening to music. It is also attractive if you feel the standard Apple Music subscription price is a tad expensive.

For comparison, the Apple Music Voice Plan only costs $4.99, nearly half the $9.99 monthly price of a standard Apple Music subscription, and $1 cheaper than the Student plan.

3. Macro Control Setting for Photos

Though it was not available to all users, iOS 15.2 added a new Macro Control toggle to the Settings app. This comes in handy when using the ultrawide lens to snap macro shots in the Camera app.

As good as it sounds, the only caveat is that the feature was only available on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max due to hardware limitations. You can enable the feature by going to Settings > Camera and then toggle Macro Control on.

Once Macro Control is enabled in the Settings app, you will be able to access the toggle right inside the Camera app at the bottom left of the preview when you move your iPhone close to an object.

4. Parts and Service History

Another handy addition to the iPhone in iOS 15.2 is a dedicated section in the Settings that tells you whether parts like the battery and display have ever been replaced. If you’ve replaced some hardware components in your iPhone, the Parts and Service history section will tell you whether it’s genuine or not.

This feature came with a catch, however. On the iPhone XR, XS, XS Max, 2020 iPhone SE, and later, Apple only tells you if you’ve replaced the battery. For iPhone 11, you can also see if you’ve changed the display and if it’s genuine. But if you use the iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 and later, this section also reveals display and camera replacement history.

5. Hide My Email With the Mail App

Hide My Email is a valuable privacy feature Apple introduced in iOS 15. If you’re an iCloud+ subscriber who relies on this feature, you’re probably aware that it wasn’t possible to access Hide My Email through the Mail app prior to the launch of iOS 15.2. But thanks to iOS 15.2, that’s no longer the case.

Here’s the difference between Hide My Email and Sign in with Apple, in case you can’t figure out what makes the two stand out from each other.

6. Digital Legacy

With Digital Legacy in iOS 15.2, you can choose Legacy Contacts. The importance of having Legacy Contacts is that they can access and download your iCloud and personal data when you die.

When you set up Digital Legacy, Apple provides a unique Legacy Contact Access Key. Once you have the key, you must share it with the one you choose as your Legacy Contact. The person can then use this key to access your data using, making the process easier.

This is important because Apple doesn’t grant access to someone’s iCloud no matter what. Exceptions apply, but that process requires legal intervention with various documentation in different countries.

7. Communication Safety for iMessage

If you’re a parent, Communication Safety is a feature that allows you to enable warnings on your child’s iPhone or iPad when they either send or receive a photo that may contain nudity.

According to the iOS 15.2 changelog, “Safety warnings contain helpful resources for children when they receive photos that contain nudity.”

Other Notable iOS 15.2 Features

Besides those seven additions, iOS 15.2 also added other subtle changes in different locations on the iPhone. For instance, the Stocks app included a year-to-date performance chart and a currency for different tickers. Enhancements were also made to CarPlay, displaying more details in Apple Maps like bike lanes and turn lanes in select cities.

Find My iPhone was also improved, making it possible to locate a lost iPhone for up to five hours in Power Reserve. The TV app added a new Store tab, a single place where you can browse, buy, and rent movies and TV shows. With iOS 15.2, Apple also added the ability to delete or rename your tags in the Notes and Reminders app.

Update to the Latest iOS Update to Enjoy New Features

If you want to stay up to date with the latest iOS features, ensure that you update your device whenever a new software version is available. You can check whether there’s a new software update by opening the Settings app and navigating to General > Software Update.

If there’s a new update available, you can download and install it on your device. Note that the download size will vary depending on your iPhone model and the version of iOS you’re currently using.