iOS 18.4 is here. Everything you need to know about new features on your iPhone
All the key features and changes in iOS 18.4 (photo: Getty Images)
Apple is currently beta testing iOS 18.4. Although the update does not include Apple Intelligence and Siri features, it contains a number of new additions that are worth knowing about, reports Lifehacker.
Priority messages
One of the main new features of iOS 18.4 is Priority Notifications. When this feature is enabled, iPhone uses built-in artificial intelligence to identify really important notifications and highlight them in a special Priority Notifications block at the top of the screen.
However, in the current beta version, this feature is not enabled by default. To activate it, go to Settings, Notifications, Notification Priority, and enable the option.
Priority messages (photo: Lifehacker)
Sketch style in Image Playground
When creating images in Image Playground, a new style called Sketch has been introduced. This style makes it look like your AI-generated image was drawn with a pencil on paper.
Sketch style in Image Playground (photo: Lifehacker)
New Ambient Music feature in the Control Center
Apple already offers background sounds with natural effects, but iOS 18.4 introduces a new Ambient Music section in the Control Center.
Four modes are available:
- Sleep
- Chill
- Productivity
- Wellbeing
Clicking on any of them will launch the corresponding playlist in Apple Music. Apple has assigned certain playlists by default, but you can override them. Go to Edit mode and choose a new playlist from the suggested options or from your collection.
Ambient Music feature (photo: Lifehacker)
Apple Intelligence is now available in the EU
Apple Intelligence now supports French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese. Localized English support has also been added for users in India and Singapore.
A section with recipes in Apple News+
The Apple News app has a new section for subscribers called Apple News Food+. Here you can find tens of thousands of visually appealing recipes, as well as articles, restaurant reviews, and more.
Updated Mail app for iPad and Mac
With the release of iPadOS 18.4 beta and macOS 15.4 beta, the updated Mail app is now available on both iPad and Mac. After the update, users will have access to email categories and other features based on artificial intelligence.
Updated Genmoji button
Previously, Genmoji was hard to find because it was hidden behind a colorful emoji in the corner of the emoji keyboard. Now Apple has fixed this: in iOS 18.4, the button is labeled Genmoji, and the rainbow emoji icon is located next to it.
Updated Genmoji button (photo: Lifehacker)
New widgets for podcasts
The Podcasts app has two new widgets:
- Library - shows saved, downloaded, or recent episodes
- Shows - lets you select a specific show and access its latest episodes right from the Home screen.
New widgets for podcasts (photo: Lifehacker)
More settings for default apps
You can now set a third-party translation app as the default. In EU countries, you can also choose a default navigation app.
Changes in CarPlay
Some users have noticed that CarPlay now supports a third row of icons on the Home screen.
Other small changes in iOS 18.4
As with any major update, iOS 18.4 has many small improvements:
- Selecting an age group when setting up a new device (Children under 12, Teens 13-17, Adults 18+). Apple claims that this data is used to set up parental controls
- Two new actions for Quick Commands in the Messages app: "Open conversation" and "Send message"
- New list mode in Photos when editing albums, making it easier to organize them.
How to install the iOS 18.4 developer beta
It's worth noting that installing the developer beta carries some risks. The software may be unstable as it's still in testing and is primarily intended for developers to make sure their apps are compatible with the latest iOS update.
Also, this beta version may contain bugs and glitches that Apple is still working on before the public release. These bugs may result in data loss if you don't make a proper backup of your device before installing the beta.
As already mentioned, you need to back up your iPhone before installing the iOS 18.4 beta before installing the beta. We recommend creating a backup using a Mac or PC via Finder or iTunes.
While it is possible to use iCloud to back up your iPhone, this can be problematic with beta versions: if your iPhone is backed up to iCloud while iOS 18.4 is running, you won't be able to restore your data if you need to revert to the public version of iOS.
Backing up to your computer will help you save all the data from your iPhone.
Next, you need to register your Apple ID in the Apple Developer Program. To do this, first go to the Apple Developer website, then select "Enroll". Sign in with your Apple ID, fill in your information, and accept Apple's terms and conditions.
After you have made a backup and registered your Apple ID, you can start installing the new beta version. To install, open Settings, General, Software Update. Below the "Automatic updates" option, you should see the "Beta updates" item.
Select "iOS 18.4 Developer Beta", then press "Back". Wait a while for iOS to boot up and you'll see the option to "Download and Install" the beta.
