The latest iOS 18.4 update is now accessible to all iPhone users. This upgrade introduces fresh Apple Intelligence functionalities, enhancements to Apple News, a variety of new emojis, adjustments to CarPlay, and additional features. Continue reading below for a comprehensive overview of everything new in iOS 18.4.
Details of iOS 18.4
To update your iPhone to iOS 18.4, navigate to the Settings app, select General, and then proceed to Software Update. This update applies to all iPhone models compatible with iOS 18.4, while the new Apple Intelligence features are specific to the iPhone 16 series, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The update is currently being rolled out to users. It might take several hours for it to reach your device, so keep checking throughout the day.
What’s New in iOS 18.4
Apple Intelligence (Available for iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max)
- Priority notifications now appear at the top of your notification list, emphasizing important alerts that may need your immediate attention.
- Image Playground has introduced a new Sketch style option, enabling the creation of beautiful sketch drawings.
- Apple Intelligence features are now compatible with 8 new languages and 2 extra English locales, encompassing English (India, Singapore), French (France, Canada), German (Germany), Italian (Italy), Japanese (Japan), Korean (South Korea), Portuguese (Brazil), Simplified Chinese, and Spanish (Spain, Latin America, US).
Apple Vision Pro App
- The newly added Apple Vision Pro app, automatically installed for users with Apple Vision Pro, facilitates content discovery, spatial experiences, and quick access to device information.
Apple News+
- Apple News+ now features recipes from some of the most renowned recipe publishers.
- The Recipe Catalog permits you to browse or search for the ideal dish and save it to your Saved Recipes.
- Cooking mode simplifies following step-by-step instructions.
- The Food section encompasses stories related to restaurants, culinary tips, healthy eating, and more.
Photos
- New filters in the Photos Library view allow you to show or hide items not contained in an album or synced from a Mac or PC.
- Reordering of items in the Media Types and Utilities collections is now possible in Photos.
- Consistent filtering options across all collections, including sorting by oldest or newest first.
- You now have the option to sort albums by Date Modified in the Photos app.
- The ability to disable “Recently Viewed” and “Recently Shared” collections in Photos Settings has been added.
- Hidden photos will not be included for import to Mac or PC when “Use Face ID” is enabled in Photos settings.
This update also introduces additional enhancements and bug fixes:
- Recent search suggestions in Safari facilitate quick access to previous search topics when initiating a new query.
- The Setup Assistant streamlines the process for parents to create a Child Account for their children, enabling age-appropriate default settings if setup is completed later.
- Screen Time App Limits persist even if a child uninstalls and reinstalls an app.
- The App Store now includes summaries for user reviews to provide quick insights.
- You can now pause and resume app download or updates in the App Store without losing progress.
- New Podcasts widgets include a Followed Shows widget to monitor your favorite shows and a Library widget to access frequently used sections like Latest Episodes, Saved, and Downloaded.
- Ambient Music allows for instant music playback through the Control Center, featuring curated playlists for everyday life.
- Apple Fitness+ Collections can now be added to your Library.
- Matter-compatible robotic vacuum cleaners can now be controlled via the Home app and added to scenes and automations.
- Support is extended to 10 new system languages including Bangla, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
New Emoji
While not explicitly highlighted in Apple’s official release, iOS 18.4 introduces seven new emoji to your iPhone:
- Face with bags under eyes
- Fingerprint
- Leafless tree
- Root vegetable
- Harp
- Shovel
- Splatter
CarPlay Enhancements
iOS 18.4 also includes several updates for CarPlay. In vehicles with adequately sized screens, the CarPlay Home Screen will now display three rows of app icons instead of the previous two. Moreover, Apple has introduced a new API that allows sports apps to showcase scores through a new Now Playing interface.
Furthermore, the update grants the ability to set a default navigation app for users in the European Union, applying to both your iPhone and CarPlay.
Some of my top iPhone accessories include: