iOS 18.2: How to Create Custom Artwork with Image Playground

Apple released iOS 18.2 on December 11, more than a month after the tech company released iOS 18.1. The latest update brings a handful of new features to every iPhone, like a redesigned Mail app and the ability to share AirTag information with airline employees. It also introduces more Apple Intelligence features to the iPhone 16 lineup, as well as the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. And if you own one of these iPhones, you’ll get a new app called Image Playground.

Learn more: Your iOS 18 cheat sheet

This app uses Apple Intelligence to generate personalized images on your device. You can choose from a list of suggested prompts or enter your own description of an image and your iPhone will create the image.

Here’s what you need to know about Image Playground on iOS 18.2. Note that before using Apple Intelligence, you must request it for your iPhone. To do this, go to Settings > Apple Intelligence and Siri and press Get Apple Intelligence.

Where is Image Playground on my iPhone?

If you have an iPhone compatible with iOS 18.2, Image Playground will be a new app on your home screen. The icon looks like a kitten in a soap bubble.

You can also access Image Playground in Messages. Here’s how.

1. Open Messages.
2. Access a discussion.
3. Press the plus (+) symbol next to your text box.
4. Faucet Picture Playground.

How does Image Playground work?

Image Playground uses Apple Intelligence on your iPhone and works like other AI image generators. Once you open the app, you can enter a description of the image you want to create in the text box or choose suggestions. (See CNET’s guide to expert image prompts.)

But you can’t use too many suggested prompts or descriptors. You can only use six suggestions and descriptors at a time. If you try to use more, Image Playground starts replacing older suggestions with newer ones. If you have too many suggestions or descriptors, you might receive a message saying, “Try fewer concepts.” You can also add or remove these suggested prompts and descriptors at any point during the creation process.

You can also create an image based on a photo from your library. Press the plus (+) in the bottom right corner of the app, then choose Choose a photo. This will allow you to use one of your own images as inspiration for Image Playground. You can also take a photo by pressing Take a photo and your new photo will be used.

If you press the plus (+) in the lower right corner of the application, you can also choose the style in which your image will be generated. There are two styles to choose from: the default style, Animation, which looks like a 3D image; and Illustration, which is more flat and cartoonish. Apple might add more styles in the future.

There is also an option to insert a generated person into these images. Tap the silhouette of a person in the lower right corner of Image Playground, tap Appearance twice, and you can generate people to insert into your images.

Once you are happy with the image, tap Do in the top right corner of the app and the image will be saved in the app.

The next time you open Image Playground, you will see all your saved images in one place. Press the plus (+) at the bottom of the screen to create a new image.

Can I edit generated images in Image Playground after saving them?

After creating an image in the app, you can go back and edit it further. Open the app and tap the generated image you want to edit, then tap To modify in the lower right corner of your screen. You can choose more suggestions, enter a different descriptor, or change the art style.

Will Image Playground always create an image?

In a very technical sense, yes, it will still make an image. Whether that’s what you’re looking for is another story. I entered the prompts “chef,” “bowtie,” and “volcano” and got a picture of a kitchen with a volcano on its counter. Unfortunately, there were no leaders or bow ties in sight – maybe the volcano had them?

Apple will likely continue to make improvements to Image Playground in the future, so hopefully the images will match your descriptors more closely. In the meantime, we have kitchen volcanoes.

For more on iOS 18, here’s what to know about iOS 18.2, how to create custom emoji with Genmoji, and what to know about mail categories. You can also view our iOS 18 Cheat Sheet.