Apple has unveiled the initial developer beta of iOS 18.4. Although it lacks several notable Apple Intelligence features, it introduces a variety of other enhancements and modifications. Continue reading for our comprehensive overview of all the new additions in iOS 18.4…
iOS 18.4 beta 1 highlights
The developer beta testers can now access iOS 18.4 beta 1, which includes the 22E5200s update. While the public beta testers have yet to receive iOS 18.4, we anticipate that it will be available as early as next week.
What’s new in iOS 18.4 beta 1?
Apple News+ Food
The new iOS 18.4 beta 1 introduces an Apple News+ Food section featuring thousands of curated recipes from leading publishers, displayed in a user-friendly and simple interface.
Apple states:
Launching with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section rich with tens of thousands of recipes and articles about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more from notable food publishers like Allrecipes, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Good Food, and Serious Eats.
Further details:
Priority Notifications
iOS 18.4 includes a new Priority Notifications feature that was revealed last year as part of Apple Intelligence. This feature showcases crucial notifications with a distinct design, simplifying the process of identifying notifications requiring your attention.
More details:
New Image Playground style
When the Image Playground feature was introduced in iOS 18.2, it showcased two of the three announced image styles: Animation and Illustration. iOS 18.4 beta 1 introduces the third and final style: sketch.
Read more:
Apple Intelligence now in more languages
Apple Intelligence adds support for new languages, including French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and simplified Chinese, along with localized English options for Singapore and India.
Genmoji enhancements
Apple has increased the size of the Genmoji button on the emoji keyboard. Furthermore, a new popup prompts users the first time they utilize the feature, stating: “Create your own original emoji to add to Messages or use as a sticker.”
New default app categories
With iOS 18.4 beta 1, Apple broadens the range of default app categories that users can customize. Users can now select a default Translate app in the United States and elsewhere, while EU users can set a default Navigation app.
Read more:
Ambient Music features
iOS 18.4 beta 1 introduces four new toggles for Ambient Music in the Control Center:
- Chill
- Productivity
- Sleep
- Wellbeing
These toggles can be added to the Control Center, linked to your iPhone’s Action button, and placed on your Lock Screen. Each toggle comes with a default Apple Music playlist but can be modified to point to any playlist in your Music library.
Read more:
CarPlay design refresh
As noted by my colleague Jace on Threads, iOS 18.4 enhances the CarPlay interface by introducing a third row of app icons on the Home screen. This update is applicable to specific vehicles only.
New Mail app for iPad
In the iPadOS 18.4 beta 1, the new Mail app, which made its debut on the iPhone with iOS 18.2, is now available for the iPad. The Mail app can automatically categorize emails into four distinct groups:
- Promotions: Marketing communications and discounts
- Primary: Personal and urgent messages
- Transactions: Order confirmations and receipts
- Updates: News alerts and social media notifications
Read more:
Apple Vision Pro upcoming updates
Apple has announced the upcoming launch of a new Apple Vision Pro app for iPhone, expected to arrive with iOS 18.4 and visionOS 2.4 in April.
Once released, this app will automatically appear on your iPhone after updating to iOS 18.4 and your Apple Vision Pro to visionOS 2.4. Those without an Apple Vision Pro can download the app from the App Store to explore the Discover page and further learn about the spatial computing platform.
Additively, iOS 18.4 will introduce new features accommodating the Guest User functionality on Apple Vision Pro, which will be available in a future update.
Read more:
Photos app now features a list view
The Photos app now features an updated interface designed specifically for editing your Albums list.
Age Range selection during setup
Upon setting up a new iPhone with iOS 18.4, users will be asked to select the “Age Range” of the individual using the device. Apple explains this information will assist in establishing parental controls and safety features.
- Child: 12 or younger
- Teen: 13 to 17
- Adult: 18 or older
New Library and Shows widgets from the Podcasts app have been introduced, allowing users to integrate these into their iPhone’s Home screen for convenient access to episodes from their library or shows they follow.
Additional iOS 18.4 beta 1 highlights
Apart from the aforementioned features, iOS 18.4 beta 1 also includes several minor updates.
- Two new Shortcuts actions for the Messages application: “Open Conversation” and “Send Message.”
- Introduction of two new Australian Siri voices in iOS 18.4.
- Design enhancements to Control Center, including a new Focus mode switcher, revised volume adjustment animations, and a refreshed Cellular Data toggle design.
- The Camera Control interface in the Settings app now has a dedicated section for “Camera App.”
- Japanese “My Number Card” Digital ID is reportedly heading to Apple Wallet in iOS 18.4, as noted by Aaron Perris on X.
Stay tuned for more insights regarding everything new in iOS 18.4 soon. Did you notice any changes in the latest release of iOS 18.4 beta 1 or iPadOS 18.4 beta 1? Share your observations in the comments below, on Twitter @DMN, and on Threads @DMN. We’ll provide a comprehensive hands-on review of the new releases on DMN today and throughout the week.
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