The second wave of Apple Intelligence features will be arriving later this year in iOS 18.2, and with the first developer betas now available, early adopters can start exploring. While iOS 18.1 introduced primarily text-based AI tools, iOS 18.2 betas bring visually creative elements like Image Playground and Genmoji, as well as features like ChatGPT integration, Visual Intelligence for the iPhone 16 lineup, and an expansion of Apple Intelligence to more English dialects.
We will discuss how to use Image Playground and Genmoji shortly, but a word of caution is essential. Such developer betas can affect your iPhone’s battery life, present compatibility problems with apps, and potentially brick your device. Apple explicitly suggests that developer betas should only be installed on devices used by developers for app testing.
- How to Install the iOS 18.2 Beta
Apple’s new Genmoji and Image Playground features are exciting, but they require the iOS 18.2 developer beta. Here’s how to proceed if you are determined to try these features early.
Step 1: Back up your iPhone. This is crucial before installing any iOS update, especially a developer beta. Regular developer updates are not meant for devices with important data, making backups essential.
Step 2: Sign up for Apple’s Developer Program by visiting developer.apple.com and signing in with your Apple ID. You don’t need to pay to access the iOS 18.2 developer beta; signing up suffices.
Step 3: On your iPhone, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update. A “Beta Updates” section should appear below Automatic Updates.
Step 4: Select Beta Updates and choose iOS 18 Developer Beta.
Step 5: Hit Back in the top-left corner.
Step 6: The iOS 18.2 beta should appear within a few seconds. Select it and follow the instructions to install the update.
- How to Request Early Access
Even after installing the iOS 18.2 beta, you might wait a bit for the image-creation features, as Apple grants access on a first-come, first-served basis to manage server load. Here’s how to request early access to these features.
Step 1: Locate and open the Image Playground app, which should be in the first open app slot once iOS 18.2 is installed.
Step 2: Choose Request Early Access on the welcome screen.
Step 3: Wait; you’ll be notified when the Image Playground, Genmoji, and Image Wand features are ready for you. You might have to wait from a few hours to over a day, depending on Apple’s capacity to onboard more users.
- How to Create a Basic Image Using Image Playground
Once image-creation features are available, you can start creating images with Apple Intelligence. Follow these steps to create a basic, generic image.
Step 1: Open Image Playground.
Step 2: Select the Describe an Image box, type a description, and hit Done or tap the send button.
Step 3: The description will show near a glowing bubble as Image Playground generates the image.
Step 4: If the description doesn’t result in a viable image, remove it and try again by selecting Undo or hitting the minus sign by the text block.
Step 5: The app will generate four images based on your description, with additional variations appearing as you swipe right.
Step 6: Customize the style by selecting the plus button in the bottom-right corner and choosing Animation (default) or Illustration.
Step 7: Further customize by entering more text in the Describe an Image box.
Step 8: Use pre-defined suggestions at the bottom for themes, costumes, etc., to add more elements.
Step 9: Remove any descriptive element by tapping on the photo, returning to the generation screen, and selecting the minus sign beside the description you want to take out.
Step 10: Once satisfied, save the image to the Image Playground library by hitting Done, or copy, share, or save it directly to your iPhone photo library with a long press.
- How to Create an Avatar of a Person Using Image Playground
Image Playground allows you to select any face from your photo library to create whimsical AI avatars. Here’s how to start.
Step 1: Open the Image Playground app.
Step 2: Choose the plus button to create a new image if you have saved images from previous sessions.
Step 3: Select the person icon next to the Describe an Image box to open a list of people from your photo library.
Step 4: Choose a person to base your new image on; note that you can’t create group shots yet.
- How to Create an AI Image of a Photo Using Image Playground
Image Playground can create an image from various photos, including pets, nature, and food. Here’s how.
Step 1: Open the Image Playground app and create a new image.
Step 2: Tap the plus button, choose a style (Animation or Illustration), and select a photo from your library or take a new one.
Step 3: After a few seconds, four AI-generated renders will appear. Swipe to select your preferred version or generate more.
- How to Use Image Playground Images in Other Apps
While saved images usually go into a dedicated Image Playground library, you can also share them directly into other apps. Here’s how.
Step 1: Open Image Playground and select an image to save to your photo library or share.
Step 2: Select the Share button, then Save Image to save it to your photo library, or share it via other apps like Messages or Mail.
- How to Make a Genmoji in Apple Messages
Genmoji allows you to create custom emojis with descriptions, and you can even add people to them. Here’s how to create one.
Step 1: Open Messages and start a new conversation.
Step 2: Open the emoji picker and type a description in the Describe an Emoji text box.
Step 3: If no matching emoji appears, select Create New Emoji.
Step 4: Four previews of your described Genmojis will appear. Refine your image in the text box if necessary.
Step 5: Add a person by typing their name in the text box and selecting from the suggestion bar.
Step 6: Choose the Genmoji version you like and add it to the conversation.
Step 7: Your Genmoji will be saved to your personal emoji/sticker library for later use.
- How to Use Genmoji in Other Apps
Although Genmojis work seamlessly in Apple Messages, other apps may handle them differently. They are more like stickers than traditional emojis. In some apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Slack, Genmojis can be used as stickers, but in apps like Microsoft Teams, you’ll be limited to standard emojis.
The iOS 18.2 beta allowed early adopters to explore innovative AI tools such as Image Playground and Genmoji, combining creativity and advanced technology for Apple users. Although the beta was still in testing and may have had everyday risks, the new features offered a glimpse of future enhancements.
