Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The latest iOS 18.2 update adds a new Apple Image Playground app with a strange icon to users’ home screens.
- Many users have rightfully assumed someone had hacked their iPhones, as it doesn’t match Apple’s typical design.
- Image Playground is completely safe to use, and those bothered by its icon can permanently delete it.
iOS 18.2 launched yesterday, packing the second batch of Apple Intelligence features — including an app with a strange icon. After updating to the latest iOS 18 release, many users were taken aback by a cat-dog-rabbit hybrid of sorts staring into their souls. Unsuspecting folks even assumed their iPhones had been hacked, wondering why a creature from hell would suddenly take residence on their home screens. Well, worry not, as the questionable app with a poorly designed icon is simply Apple’s Image Playground, which lets you generate illustrations using on-device AI models.
While the Image Playground app introduced with iOS 18.2 may be fun for certain users, it almost objectively has a strange icon that doesn’t align with Apple’s design language. On Reddit, dozens of users agreed almost unanimously that the new AI app looks off-putting. In fact, some even feared they had been hacked, as the icon arguably resembles sketchy scam apps.
Fortunately, iOS 18.2 users bothered by the Image Playground app and its strange icon can uninstall it like any other iPhone application. The listing remains accessible through Apple’s App Store, allowing you to re-download it if you change your mind later.
Beyond the Image Playground app, iOS 18.2 also introduced the highly anticipated ChatGPT integration, in addition to Visual Intelligence on the iPhone 16 series. Notably, those interested in the context-aware Siri will have to wait for another update coming next spring.
