Apple has officially rolled out iOS 18.4, and it’s more than just a routine update. This release marks a significant expansion of Apple Intelligence features, bringing AI-powered enhancements like Priority Notifications to iPhone and iPad users in the European Union. Alongside this, Apple News+ subscribers gain access to a new Food section brimming with recipes, and the Photos app receives thoughtful updates to streamline photo organization.
Priority Notifications: AI That Understands What Matters
With iOS 18.4, Apple introduces Priority Notifications, an AI-driven feature designed to surface your most important alerts. Utilizing on-device processing, Apple Intelligence analyzes your notifications to determine which ones require immediate attention, placing them at the top of your notification stack. This ensures that critical messages aren’t lost amidst less urgent alerts.
Users can customize this feature by navigating to Settings > Notifications, where they can enable or disable Priority Notifications and select which apps are included. This level of control allows for a personalized notification experience that adapts to individual needs.
Apple Intelligence Expands to the EU and Beyond
Previously limited in availability, Apple Intelligence now extends its reach to the European Union, granting iPhone and iPad users access to its suite of AI features. This expansion includes support for multiple new languages, such as French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese. Additionally, localized English support has been added for Singapore and India, broadening the accessibility of Apple’s AI capabilities.
Apple News+ Introduces a Culinary Delight
iOS 18.4 enriches the Apple News+ experience with the addition of a dedicated Food section. Subscribers can now explore a vast collection of recipes from renowned publishers like Allrecipes, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and Serious Eats. The section offers curated recipes aligned with current events and holidays, a searchable catalog with filters for meal type, dietary preferences, and cooking time, and a cooking mode that provides step-by-step instructions with enlarged text and integrated timers.
This culinary enhancement transforms Apple News+ into a valuable resource for food enthusiasts, offering inspiration and guidance for meals of all kinds.
Photos App: Enhanced Organization and Privacy
The Photos app receives several user-centric updates aimed at improving organization and privacy. New filtering options allow users to display or hide photos not contained in an album or those synced from a Mac or PC. Albums can now be sorted by Date Modified, providing a more intuitive way to access recent edits.
Privacy-conscious users will appreciate the ability to disable the “Recently Viewed” and “Recently Shared” collections, ensuring greater control over what is displayed in their photo library. Additionally, hidden photos are excluded from imports to Mac or PC when Face ID protection is enabled, reinforcing Apple’s commitment to user privacy.
Vision Pro Integration and Other Notable Features
iOS 18.4 also brings Apple Intelligence to the Vision Pro headset, enhancing the spatial computing experience with features like Writing Tools, Image Playground, and Genmoji. A new companion app for Vision Pro is automatically installed on iPhones, allowing users to discover new content and manage their headset more effectively.
Other enhancements include the addition of eight new emojis, a Sketch style option in Image Playground for creating detailed sketches, and improved filtering and sorting options in the Photos app. Safari gains recent search suggestions, and screen time limits now persist through app uninstalls and reinstalls, offering a more consistent user experience.
With these updates, iOS 18.4 delivers a comprehensive suite of features that enhance productivity, creativity, and user control, solidifying Apple’s commitment to integrating intelligent, user-friendly solutions across its ecosystem.
