Apple releases iOS 12.2 with new Animoji, support for new Apple News+ service and more

Following its big media event on Monday, Apple has released the iOS 12.2 update with several new features and improvements. The software has been in beta testing for a number of weeks, and now it’s available to the public for compatible iPhones and iPads.

Here are the release notes:

iOS 12.2 provides support for Apple News+, adds the ability for Siri to play videos from your iOS device to Apple TV, and includes four new Animoji. This update also includes bug fixes and improvements.

And our hands-on video with the beta:

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And finally for the folks who like to read the full change log:

Apple News+
Apple News+ is a new subscription service that extends the Apple News experience with hundreds of magazines and top newspapers
Our editors handpick top articles and magazine issues, and you also get personalized recommendations on the topics most interesting to you
Automatic downloads make it easy to read magazine issues offline
Apple News is now available in Canada, with a free experience that includes handpicked Top Stories, a personalized Today feed, and support for both English and French
Apple News+ is available in the U.S. and in Canada, with dozens of additional Canadian magazines
Siri
Ask Siri on your iPhone or iPad to play any video, show, movie, sports game, or channel on Apple TV. For example, “Hey Siri, play Free Solo on my TV”
Animoji
Four new Animoji—owl, boar, giraffe and shark—are included for iPhone X and later, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) and iPad Pro 11-inch
AirPlay
Dedicated TV controls in Control Center and on the Lock Screen give you quick access to TV controls
AirPlay multitasking for video allows you to browse other apps, as well as play other short form audio and video files locally on your device without interrupting AirPlay
AirPlay destinations are now grouped by content type making it faster for you to find what device you want to play to
Apple Pay
Apple Pay Cash customers can now transfer money to their bank accounts instantly using their Visa debit cards
Wallet app now conveniently displays Apple Pay credit and debit transactions right below the card
Screen Time
Downtime can be configured with a different schedule for each day of the week
A new toggle enables easily turning app limits on or off temporarily
Safari
Website sign-in now occurs automatically after filling credentials with Password AutoFill. Warnings now appear when loading unencrypted webpages
Removes support for the expired Do Not Track standard to prevent potential use as a fingerprinting variable; Intelligent Tracking Prevention now protects against cross-site tracking by default
Smart Search Field queries can now be modified by tapping the arrow icon next to search suggestions
Apple Music
The Browse tab shows more editorial highlights on a single page making it easier to discover new music, playlists, and more
AirPods
Support for new AirPods (2nd generation)

Bug fixes and improvements
Supports Air Quality Index in Maps for US, UK, and India
Includes information in Settings on how much time remains on your device’s warranty period
Supports real-time text (RTT) for phone calls made through a nearby iPhone on iPad and iPod Touch
Displays a “5G E” icon for iPhone 8 and later, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) or iPad Pro 11-inch indicating that users are in an area where AT&T’s 5G Evolution network is available
Improves quality of audio recordings in Messages
Improves stability and performance of Apple TV Remote on iOS
Fixes an issue that prevented some missed calls from appearing in Notification Center
Addresses an issue where a badge notification could appear on Settings even though no action is needed
Addresses an issue in Settings > General > iPhone Storage where the storage size of some large apps, the System category, and the Other category in the storage bar graph could be incorrect
Fixes an issue that could cause Voice Memos to automatically play back recordings after connecting to a car Bluetooth device
Resolves an issue that could cause Voice Memos to temporarily prevent renaming a recording

To install iOS 12.2, simply navigate to the Settings app > General > Software Update and tap on Download and Install. You can also download the full firmware from our Downloads page.