Skip to main content

Apple’s iOS 13.2 brings new emoji, Deep Fusion, privacy settings, and more

After a few weeks of beta testing, Apple has finally released iOS 13.2 to the public, bringing with it a range of anticipated features, including the long-teased Deep Fusion camera tech.

The update is available to all iPhone users with an iPhone 6S or newer, and also comes with a few bug fixes and other features that should make the iOS 13 experience a little less frustrating. You can download the new iOS 13.2 in the Settings app.

Recommended Videos

The most notable new feature is Deep Fusion, which is a new image processing tech that’s aimed at medium-light photos, and works in the background to bring improved detail to photos taking on the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. The feature was touted on stage at the iPhone 11 Pro unveiling for its ability to improve texture and noise reduction. The effects of the tech may be subtle, but they’re certainly present.

iOS 13.2 also brings in a host of new emoji. These new emoji were previewed by Apple over the summer, and are aimed at being more inclusive. To that end, there is a range of emoji of people in wheelchairs, new skin tones for existing emoji, and more.

There are new privacy settings for Siri in iOS 13.2 too. With these new settings, you can control whether Apple uses your Siri interactions to improve Siri. When you first update to the new versions of iOS, you’ll be able to opt in or out of sharing your Siri interactions with Apple.

When iOS 13 was first launched, Apple also announced the new Announce Messages feature. That feature has now finally been added to iOS, and allows Siri to read messages back to you when you’re using AirPods or another pair of headphones with the Apple H1 chip.

The last major feature is the addition of support for the new AirPods Pro, which were just announced. Notably, in iOS 13.2 you’ll be able to control the noise cancellation modes for the AirPods, along with settings for Transparency, which allows you to control how much outside noise is let in.

Apart from those features, iOS 13.2 also brings support for HomeKit Secure Video, HomeKit-enabled routers, and, as mentioned, fixes for a range of bugs.

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
5 rumored iOS 26 features we could see at WWDC 2025
An iPhone 16 laying on a shelf with its screen on.

Apple’s upcoming WWDC 2025 showcase is going to be a busy one, even though the expected AI-powered software rebirth may not land until next year. In the meantime, reliable sources have spilled the beans on what we might expect for the next major iOS overhaul. 

Starting with the name, Apple could skip iOS 19 and could go straight from v18 to v26. We are also expecting a design overhaul, something that could draw inspiration from Vision OS. On the functional side, an AI health coach would be a huge draw for fitness enthusiasts. 

Read more
iOS 19 isn’t coming this fall … because Apple is calling it something else
The back of the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Apple will unveil the latest version of the iPhone operating system at WWDC next month, but apparently it won’t be “iOS 19.”

The tech giant is going to shake up the naming system for iOS, with the next version set to be called iOS 26, according to a Bloomberg report by prominent Apple tipster Mark Gurman on Wednesday.

Read more
5 lost iOS features I want to see return in iOS 19
Siri being shown on an iPhone 15 Pro on iOS 18.

In the second week of June, Apple will likely give the world a glimpse of its jazzed-up operating systems at WWDC 2025, and a major redesign is expected for iOS 19. Though I’ve always yearned for a return to the skeuomorphism look, we are hearing that Apple is eying a unified aesthetic language that is more reminiscent of Vision OS running on its uber-expensive headset.

A lot of eyes and ears will hunt for AI-related announcements, especially in the wake of Apple Intelligence flubs and delays. On the more practical side of things, an AI fitness coach might land this year with the iOS 19 update. But after going through all the hype and rumors, I hope Apple brings back the following features that it abandoned years ago, but with a modern makeover: 

Read more