With the first beta of iPadOS 18.2 recently being released, we get an idea of the next set of Apple Intelligence features iPad users can expect in December. There are also other nice improvements not related to Apple Intelligence, and hopefully, more bug fixes🤞🏾.

Apple Intelligence Phase 2: All About Images

Image Playground

Image Playground is a new app that leverages generative AI to create custom images. Apple has previously stated that the styles are intentionally cartoony, as they are trying to avoid issues with people creating realistic images and trying to pass them off as authentic.

There are a few ways to create images with the app. The app provides a number of suggestions you could start with.

You can create a personalized image of yourself or others by selecting a person from your people in Apple Photos.

You can also try describing an image with a custom phrase.

What’s cool is, you can add additional parameters to customize any of these further. For example, I could give the app the phrase “a knight holding a sword”, but then also throw in my picture for context, then I would be the knight holding the sword.

The style options that are available are Animation or Illustration.

Image Playground is also integrated in the Messages app as an iMessage app, so if you want to quickly create and send a generated image, it’s straightforward to do so.

Image Wand

Image Wand is a tool that leverages AI to take rough sketches and transform them into more fully realized images. This capability is currently only in the Notes app.

There are two ways to use this feature. The first way will take a sketch you have embedded in your note and combine the sketch with the content of your note as context. So, if you have a note describing your ideal house, for example, and draw a sketch of a house, Apple Intelligence should be able to create a more representative image.

Secondly, you can apply Image Wand to just a sketch you have in a note, and then Apple Intelligence will ask you for additional context to complete the sketch.

Genmoji

Like the name implies, Genmoji uses Generative AI to create custom emojis. This is accessible from the Messages app via emoji search. If you describe an emoji that doesn’t exist, you’ll now see an option to “Create New Emoji”. Apple Intelligence may ask for additional context if it can’t figure out what you mean from your initial phrase. You can then save this emoji and reuse it as needed.

ChatGPT integration With Siri

Siri can now communicate directly with ChatGPT, if you choose to do so. This is entirely optional and not enabled by default, for those concerned about privacy. It’s widely known that ChatGPT is the market leader in AI chatbots, capable of answering more questions and performing more tasks than Siri can currently do.

There’s a new setting in the Apple Intelligence settings that lets you configure ChatGPT. You can optionally sign into an account, which might be used for any additional personal context that may bring, as well as access to newer models if you have to be a paying customer. You do not have to sign in with an account to utilize ChatGPT integration.

By default, before Siri fields a request to ChatGPT, you are prompted to confirm this is something you want to do. There is a toggle to turn off this behavior, if you don’t want to confirm every time. Interestingly, when I was testing this feature by uploading photos to ChatGPT for identification, I was prompted to confirm regardless of if I had the toggle enabled.

Writing Tools Updates

The Writing Tools feature that debuted in iPadOS 18.1 gains a couple of new capabilities in this release.

There’s now a freeform text field that lets you specify the tone you want Apple Intelligence to apply to your text. Previously, you were limited to one of the three provided tones: Friendly, Professional, and Concise.

There’s also now integration with ChatGPT from the Writing Tools panel. This essentially acts as a shortcut to the text generation capabilities that ChatGPT provides.

Non Apple Intelligence Features

Default Apps

There’s a new panel in Settings that gives you a single place to configure your default apps.

Volume Limit For Built-In Speakers

There’s now an option to configure the maximum volume for the speakers on your iPad in Settings.

Safari Import/Export browsing history

In Settings, Safari adds the ability to import and export browsing history, making it easier to switch between your different browser options on iPadOS.

Type To Siri Widget in Control Center

There’s a new toggle in Control Center for the recently added capability to double-tap the bottom of the screen to toggle Type/Scribble to Siri. Very unclear why this is needed, but I guess I won’t complain about having additional options.