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

Shortly after announcing its subscription service for magazines and newspapers, Apple has now released iOS 12.2 with support for Apple News+ along with other new features such as four new Animoji characters and the ability for Siri to play videos from an iOS device to Apple TV. Additionally, the update brings support for Apple's recently unveiled devices such as the second-generation AirPods, which now incorporate native "Hey Siri" voice command support.

Of course, there's the usual inclusion of bug fixes and improvements. Here's the update's full release notes:

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)

Improvements and bug fixes:

• 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 connected to AT&T’s 5G Evolution network
• 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

iOS 12.2 is available to download on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices by heading over to Settings > General > Software Update. Needless to say, be sure to back up your device using iTunes or iCloud before downloading and installing the update.