Apple improves stability, fixes bugs in iOS 18.4 dev beta 4: What's new

iOS 18.4 update was anticipated to bring advanced capabilities for Siri; however, those features have reportedly been delayed

Apple has begun rolling out the fourth developer beta of iOS 18.4 for supported iPhone models, along with a public beta update. This version primarily focuses on bug fixes and system refinements, rather than introducing major new features. Among the fixes is an issue that required some users to enable Siri before accessing Apple Intelligence.

 

Expected to arrive in April, iOS 18.4 will bring expanded language support, including localised English (India). It will also introduce Priority Notifications, a new Sketch style for Image Playground, and other enhancements.

 

iOS 18.4 developer beta 4: Resolved issues

 

Apple has addressed several consumer-facing issues in this update:

 

• Apple Intelligence required Siri activation for non-English (US) languages.
• Some Apple Intelligence features remained unavailable or displayed a "Downloading support…" message after restoring iOS 18.4 or iPadOS 18.4.
• Certain Apple Intelligence functions remained inactive until the device was restarted.
• An error message appeared when selecting "Replace" after generating a list, key points, table, or summary in Writing Tools.
• Siri suggestions failed to process successfully in some non-English languages.
• Scrolling through notifications caused flickering or unexpected collapses.

ALSO READ | Apple plans big overhaul of iOS, iPadOS, macOS this year: What to expect 

iOS 18.4: New features

 

Here are the key features coming to eligible iPhones with iOS 18.4:

• Priority Notifications: Uses on-device processing to highlight and categorise important notifications.
• New Image Playground Style: Expands customisation options with a "Sketch" style, alongside existing "Animation" and "Illustration" choices.
• Visual Intelligence for iPhone 15 Pro models: Launched on the iPhone 16 series, this feature is now available on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, enabling AI-powered visual searches.
• Control Centre Enhancements: New shortcuts for Apple Intelligence and Siri, including "Talk to Siri," "Type to Siri," and "Visual Intelligence."
• Additional Updates: More Shortcuts actions for apps like Books, News, Safari, and Maps, plus new emojis, including Fingerprint, Leafless Tree, Harp, and Shovel.