iOS 11.2 is here and it brings two big banner features we were first promised at WWDC. Apple Pay Cash itself is a great reason to upgrade to iOS 11.2. But it’s the fix for the date bug that will push you over the edge.

13 New iOS 11 Features

Here are all the new features and changes in iOS 11.2.

1. Date Bug Fix

The reason alone to update to iOS 11.2. It fixes the notorious date bug that’s making phones crash as December 2nd rolls around. Apple had provided a workaround (which was changing the time) but updating to iOS 11.2 is a reliable way to fix the bug (and to make sure you don’t face the problem in the first place). If you’re not able to update to iOS 11.2 because of the springboard crashes, change the date to last week, do a hard reset, then try to download the update.

2. Calculator App Fixed

The animation bug where 1 + 2 + 3 didn’t equal to 6 has been squashed with this update. And we hope Apple has learned a lesson or two about quality assurance for their first party apps.

3. Apple Pay Cash

Apple Pay Cash, Apple’s peer to peer payment system that was first talked about at WWDC is finally here in iOS 11.2. First, you need to sign up for an Apple Pay Cash card (by linking your debit or bank account). Then you can add money to your Cash card and pay anyone using the iMessage app.

Open an iMessage conversation and you’ll find the new Apple Pay icon on the bottom iMessage app tricker. Tap on it, type in the amount and hit send. Once the other party receives it, you’ll get a notification. You can request money is a similar fashion. For more details on how to use this feature, check out our Apple Pay Cash guide.

Update:

Apple has just confirmed that Apple Pay Cash will be rolled out early next week. Initially, it will be available only in the U.S.

4. Faster 7.5W Wireless Charging

So far, the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X supported wireless charging at 5 watts. This is the same as the little power brick that comes with the iPhone. Now, Apple has unlocked the ability to charge wirelessly at a faster rate. For this, you’ll need to have a Qi wireless charger that supports 7.5 watts power delivery.

5. Popups in Control Center

In iOS 11, toggles for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth work differently. Tapping on a toggle doesn’t actually turn it off, it just disconnects from the current connection. The next day, it will reconnect to your default connection automatically. Now, if you actually want to turn off Wi-Fi, you have to do it from Settings.

Apple didn’t convey this change in behavior in any way with the iOS 11 update. Of course, this has lead to a lot of confusion. Apple’s solution to this problem isn’t a better system, or to roll back to the previous feature. With iOS 11.2, Apple has added new popups that explain the new behavior. They explain that Wi-Fi/Bluetooth will only be turned off until the next day and that AirDrop, Personal Hotspot, Apple Watch, Handoff and more will continue to work.

6. Clearer Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Toggles in Control Center

To get some more clarity on this three-step system – On, Disconnected and Off, Apple has changed the color of the Disconnected state. Instead of a grey color, it’s now a brighter white. Which does signify that this feature isn’t completely turned off. It’s not a great solution but it’s something.

7. AirPlay 2

AirPlay 2 feature lets you connect your device to multiple audio outputs and control it from a single device. So for instance, you can connect to the upcoming HomePod or an Apple TV and control both devices output from your iPhone’s Control Center. Just tap on the AirPlay button from anywhere and you’ll find controls for all connected devices.

8. Tweaked Emojis

iOS 11.2 doesn’t introduce any new emojis. You do get slightly tweaked versions of some of the popular emojis like the tumbler glass, camera, fork, spoon, ant and more.

9. Control Center Indicator for iPhone X

When you first set up the iPhone X, you must have found a little indicator below the Control Center. This was to tell you that you can swipe here and expect something to happen. Once you did the gesture for a couple of times, this indicator will go away. Now, in iOS 11.2, there’s a bar that consistently stays put below the toggles on the Lock screen (thankfully it doesn’t appear once you unlock your phone.

10. New Wallpapers

iPhone X gets three new really cool moving sand live wallpapers from the iPhone X commercial. Plus older phones get the new colorful wallpapers that shipped with the iPhone 8.

11. TV App Updates

The TV app gets a whole new section for Live Sports. The Sports tab will let you watch live sports and recaps of older games. You can mark sports and teams as favorites to follow their games in your feed.

TV app also gets a dedicated notification system now. So you can go in and disable notifications from the TV app or only restrict it for banner notifications.

12. Introductory Pricing for Renewing Subscriptions

iOS 11.2 enables discounted pricing for renewing subscriptions. This is a developer focused feature designed to lure in first-time customers. It’s going to be interesting to see how developers use this features. Professional level apps should be the first to embrace this.

13. Interface Changes

There are small interface changes across the OS. The Camera icon in the Messages app is now consistent with the Camera app icon. The album art in Control Center is more squared. Trending searches in App Store get a blue highlight.

What’s Going To Be in iOS 11.3?

In this release, we got two big features that were promised at WWDC. We still don’t have iMessages in iCloud. We hope to see that in 11.3.

What else do you think iOS 11.3 will bring? Share with us in the comments below.