iOS 18.4: Apple releases new developer beta as update nears its final state

Apple has begun rolling out the third developer beta of the iOS 18.4 update as it nears the end of its testing cycle. The latest beta does not introduce major changes but focuses on refining the experience by addressing bugs and reported issues.

 

Expected to roll out in April, iOS 18.4 will expand language support for Apple Intelligence, adding localised English (India). It will also introduce features such as "Priority Notifications," new styles for the Image Playground tool, and more. While the update was anticipated to bring advanced capabilities for Siri, Bloomberg recently reported that these features have been delayed. 

 

 

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

• Priority Notifications: This Apple Intelligence feature automatically highlights potentially important notifications using on-device processing and sorts them into a dedicated section.
• New Image Playground Style: Apple is adding a new "Sketch" style to its AI-powered image generator, expanding the existing "Animation" and "Illustration" options.
• Visual Intelligence on iPhone 15 Pro: Previously exclusive to the iPhone 16 series, Visual Intelligence is now coming to iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. It enables text summarisation, translation, phone number and email address detection, and visual searches via Google or ChatGPT. On these models, the feature can be accessed via the Action Button.
• Control Centre Updates: Apple has added new shortcut toggles for quick access to Apple Intelligence and Siri features, including "Talk to Siri," "Type to Siri," and "Visual Intelligence."
• Other Changes: The update introduces new Shortcuts actions for Apple apps including Books, News, Safari, Maps, and more. There are also new emojis—such as Fingerprint, Leafless Tree, Harp, and Shovel—being added.