Apple has finally released the first beta of iOS 18.4 for developers. While the promised Apple Intelligence features are not yet included, this update introduces several significant changes across various apps and system functions. We’ll keep you updated on future additions.
Notification Priority and Image Playground
A new Notification Priority feature now displays important notifications at the top of the lock screen. It’s disabled by default but can be enabled in Settings > Notifications > Notification Priority. Since it’s part of Apple Intelligence, it’s only available on supported models.
The Image Playground app has gained a new sketch style, which was previously limited to Image Wand. Users can switch styles by tapping the “+” button. Apple has also replaced the Winter Holiday theme with a new Spring theme, adds NIX Solutions.
New Features and Improvements
- Apple Intelligence Languages – Support now includes French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, plus localized English versions for Singapore and India.
- Apple News+ Food – A new section offers thousands of recipes, restaurant articles, and kitchen tool reviews, curated from major food publications. A special cooking mode provides step-by-step instructions, and users can save recipes for offline access.
- Background Music – Users can now add background music to Control Center, with four categories: sleep, relaxation, productivity, and mental health. Tracks play randomly, and control is available via Dynamic Island or the music widget.
- Mail Categories for iPadOS – The Mail app now sorts emails into four sections: primary, orders, promotions, and social media notifications, similar to the feature introduced in iOS 18.2.
- Privacy Notifications – The small indicator dots for camera and microphone usage are now more visible, appearing on the left with a black background.
Additional Updates
- Siri Voices – Two new Australian-accented voices are available.
- Genmoji – The emoji keyboard now labels the Genmoji button explicitly.
- Apple Maps – Users can now select a preferred language in the settings.
- Podcasts Widget – Two new widgets for media libraries and subscribed podcasts are available.
- Cellular Icon in Control Center – The icon now displays signal strength with varied bar counts.
- Shortcuts Actions – A new shortcut action allows users to open specific Messages chats.
- CarPlay – Some users now see a third row of icons on the CarPlay home screen.
- Default Apps – Users in Europe can select a default navigation app, and all users can now choose a default translation app.
- Notification Center Animation – Closing the Notification Center is now smoother.
Known Issues and Upcoming Additions
- Wi-Fi Calling Issue – Apple notes that Wi-Fi calling may not work for iOS 18.4 users in the U.S. The only fix is to downgrade to iOS 18.3.
- Vision Pro App – A new app for Vision Pro allows users to manage their headset via iPhone, including guest mode settings. This app isn’t included in the first beta but will be added in future updates.
- New Emoji – While this beta doesn’t include new emoji, upcoming releases will introduce a baggy eye, fingerprint, shovel, harp, splash, root vegetable, tree without leaves, and more.
Apple plans to release iOS 18.4 to the public in April.