iOS 18.4 Release Notes: New Features and Enhancements

• The second Release Candidate of iOS 18.4 is rolling out to developers and beta testers, with Apple officially releasing the notes which include new features like Apple Intelligence (available on select iPhone models), enhanced notification prioritization, and a new Sketch style option in Image Playground.

• Significant updates are also present in the Apple Vision Pro app, Apple News+ (with a new recipe catalog and cooking mode), and Photos (offering new filters, reordering options, and improved sorting capabilities).

• Further improvements include streamlined setup for Child Accounts, enhanced App Store user reviews, improved App download/update management, new Podcasts widgets, ambient music access from Control Center, and expanded Apple Fitness+ functionality.

• iOS 18.4 also boasts support for Matter-compatible robot vacuums in the Home app,  adds ten new system languages (Bangla, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu), and includes various bug fixes and performance enhancements across Safari, Screen Time, and other system apps.

iOS 18.4 is set to be released to all iPhone users in April 2025, with the second Release Candidate build currently being rolled out to developers and public beta testers. This new version offers several enhancements and features, many of which had previously been reported, along with some new details included in the official release notes shared by Apple.

Key features of iOS 18.4 include improved Apple Intelligence capabilities available on a select range of devices, particularly the iPhone 16 models and the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. This update introduces priority notifications that highlight important alerts, a sketch style option in Image Playground, and support for eight additional languages and two English locales (English for India and Singapore).

Another major addition is the Apple Vision Pro app, pre-installed for Apple Vision Pro users. This app offers new content discovery, spatial experiences, and quick access to device information. In terms of Apple News+, access to recipes from top publishers is included, along with a Recipe Catalog for browsing and step-by-step cooking directions. The Food section now offers stories related to gastronomy, kitchen tips, and healthy eating.

The Photos app sees improvements such as new filtering capabilities for managing library views and consistent sorting options across collections. Features like the ability to disable “Recently Viewed” and “Recently Shared” collections are also included, as well as preventing hidden photos from being imported to other devices when Face ID is enabled in the app’s settings.

Additional enhancements span multiple apps, including Safari, which now provides recent search suggestions to aid in query navigation. A simplified setup for creating a Child Account is part of the Setup Assistant feature, and App Limits in Screen Time will persist even if a child uninstalls and reinstalls apps. The App Store introduces user review summaries to provide insights at a glance, with the option to pause and resume app downloads without losing progress.

New widgets for Podcasts allow users to track followed shows, while Ambient Music offers curated playlists accessible from Control Center. Apple Fitness+ Collections can now be added to the library for better organization. The Home app is upgraded to control Matter-compatible robotic vacuum cleaners, incorporating them into scenes and automations.

Moreover, iOS 18.4 adds support for ten new system languages, including regional languages from India.

Overall, iOS 18.4 is characterized by significant enhancements to user interface and functionality across various Apple services and applications, with Apple focusing on improving the overall user experience with comprehensive updates.

iOS 18.4 release notes

Apple Intelligence (All iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max):

Priority notifications are prominently displayed at the top of the notification feed, emphasizing time-sensitive alerts requiring immediate action.  Sketch functionality has been integrated as a new style option within Image Playground, enabling the creation of high-quality sketch-based artwork.  Apple Intelligence now offers expanded language support, encompassing eight additional languages and two new English dialects: 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

The Apple Vision Pro application, pre-installed on Apple Vision Pro devices, facilitates content discovery, spatial experience exploration, and rapid access to device information.

Apple News

Apple News+ now offers recipes from leading global publishers.  The Recipe Catalog facilitates browsing and searching for recipes, with the option to save favorites.  A dedicated cooking mode provides convenient step-by-step guidance.  Furthermore, the Food section features articles on restaurants, culinary techniques, healthy eating, and related topics.

Photos

Enhancements to the Photos application’s Library view will include new filters to show or hide items not present in albums or synced from a Mac or PC.  Reordering of items within the Media Types and Utilities collections will be supported.  Consistent filtering options, including sorting by date (oldest or newest first), will be implemented across all collections.  Albums will be sortable by modification date.  Finally, users will gain the option to disable the “Recently Viewed” and “Recently Shared” collections within Photos Settings.  Import to Mac or PC will exclude hidden photos when “Use Face ID” is enabled in Photos settings.

This update also includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:

Safari’s recent search suggestions facilitate efficient retrieval of prior search topics when initiating new queries.

Setup Assistant optimizes the process for parents to establish Child Accounts, offering the option to configure child-appropriate default settings at a later time.

Screen Time App Limits remain effective even after a child reinstalls an application.

App Store provides concise user review summaries, enabling quick access to valuable peer insights.

App Store download and update processes support pausing and resuming without data loss.

New Podcasts widgets, including “Followed Shows” and “Library,” offer streamlined access to preferred content and frequently used sections.

Ambient Music provides immediate access to curated playlists via Control Center, offering versatile soundtracks for daily activities.

Apple Fitness+ Collections are now integratable into the Library.

Matter-compatible robot vacuum cleaners are controllable within the Home app and are compatible with scenes and automations.

Support for ten new system languages has been added: Bangla, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.