Apple has officially confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. The first beta version is already available, and the update brings a number of new features. Although expected improvements to Siri through Apple Intelligence are missing, there are some interesting new features, including priority notifications, a new Apple News+ section with recipes, an ambient music feature, and some changes to CarPlay. Below, we'll look at all the new features coming to the iPhone with iOS 18.4.
Apple regularly releases updates for iOS that fix bugs and introduce new features. iOS 18.4 continues this trend, even if there are no major changes to Siri's artificial intelligence this time. Instead, there are some practical new features for everyday use. These include better organization of notifications, new music options directly in the control center and an expansion of voice support for Apple Intelligence. There is also a new Vision Pro app, some small changes for CarPlay and, as usual, a set of new emojis. iOS 18.4 is therefore an interesting update, especially for users in the EU.
Priority notifications for important messages
iOS 18.4 introduces a feature that automatically recognizes important notifications and prioritizes them on the lock screen. This ensures that really relevant messages do not get lost in the flood of notifications. The new feature can be activated in the settings under "Notifications → Prioritize notifications". The priority notifications are part of the Apple Intelligence functions and require an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max or an iPhone 16 model.
Apple News+ Food – Recipes and nutrition topics in a new section
A major innovation is the introduction of the "Food" section within Apple News+. Subscribers to this service gain access to an extensive collection of recipes and other content on the subject of nutrition. According to Apple, there are tens of thousands of recipes from well-known food magazines such as Bon Appétit, Food & Wine and Serious Eats. Users can search and filter the recipes, discover new suggestions every day and use a special cooking mode that displays step-by-step instructions in full screen mode. Favorite recipes can also be saved and accessed offline.
- Note: Apple News+ is only available in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK. The subscription costs $12.99 per month, or it is included in the Apple One Premier package for $37.95 per month.
Ambient Music – Music collection for different moods
With iOS 18.4, a new music function is coming to the Control Center. “Ambient Music” allows you to directly access music tracks from four different categories:
- Chill
- productivity
- Sleep
- well-being
Playback can be started directly from the control center without having to open an app.
Apple Intelligence available in additional languages
With iOS 18.4, Apple is expanding the language support for Apple Intelligence. New additions include German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Japanese, Korean and simplified Chinese. There is also a new drawing style called "Sketch" for the image generation function "Image Playground". This allows users to create images in the sketch style, in addition to the existing "Animation" and "Illustration" styles.
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Changes to CarPlay for larger displays
There is an adjustment in CarPlay for vehicles with very large dashboards. With iOS 18.4, an additional row of app icons is displayed on a single page. This is intended to make navigation in CarPlay clearer.
New options for selecting default apps
There is a small but important change, especially for users in the EU: With iOS 18.4, you can set a default map app for the first time. So if you prefer to use Google Maps rather than Apple Maps, you can now set that as the default. There is also the option to choose a default translation app worldwide.
Vision Pro app for Apple Vision Pro users
Another innovation affects Apple Vision Pro users. With iOS 18.4, a special app for the headset will be available on the iPhone. This app is designed to make it easier to download apps and games from the App Store, discover Apple TV content, and get helpful Vision Pro tips. There is also quick access to important information about your own Vision Pro. The app is installed automatically when the iPhone is updated to iOS 18.4. Alternatively, it can also be downloaded from the App Store. The app will be released during the beta phase and is therefore not yet available under iOS 18.4 Beta 1.
New emojis complement the selection
As with previous updates, iOS 18.4 includes new emojis. According to code analysis, these include:
- face with bags under the eyes
- fingerprint
- tree without leaves
- root vegetables
- harp
- shovel
- splash
These additions follow the pattern of recent iOS versions, which have introduced new emojis on a regular basis. However, they are not officially available on iOS 18.4 Beta 1.
Is it worth updating to iOS 18.4?
iOS 18.4 brings useful improvements, especially for users in the EU. Apple Intelligence is available for the first time in several European languages such as German, French and Italian, which significantly expands the use of AI-supported functions. Other innovations such as priority notifications, ambient music and Apple News+ Food ensure an improved user experience. CarPlay offers an optimized app layout for large displays, and the new Vision Pro app will make it easier to access content in the future. In addition, new emojis expand the possibilities for expression. The update brings well-thought-out optimizations without major changes. If you want to benefit from the new features, you should install iOS 18.4 immediately after its release in April. Looking for accessories? Our Amazon Storefront has the solution! (Image: Apple)
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