Exploring Upcoming Features in iOS 18.4
The anticipated release of iOS 18.4 was initially expected to showcase new Apple Intelligence enhancements for Siri, yet Apple decided to retract these features pending further testing. Although the update will have fewer new additions related to Apple Intelligence, there are still compelling reasons to download it when it launches in April.
Priority Notifications: A Smarter Way to Manage Alerts
First revealed during Apple’s WWDC event in June 2024, Priority Notifications reflect a significant enhancement in how users interact with alerts on their devices. This feature has been long-awaited since the introduction of iOS 18 last September.
By enabling Priority Notifications, your device intelligently categorizes your incoming alerts and highlights those deemed most critical based on various factors such as time and context. For instance, if you are awaiting a food delivery, that notification is prioritized over others—ensuring you don’t miss important updates that require immediate action.
This feature is opt-in within the iOS 18.4 beta; users must navigate through Settings > Notifications > Prioritize Notifications to enable it. Once activated, prioritized notifications will appear prominently at the top of your Lock Screen notifications list inside a designated box featuring an eye-catching icon, while still allowing access to all other notifications by swiping as needed.
The Enhanced Image Playground: More Creative Options Await
Upon its initial launch, the Image Playground app provided only Animation and Illustration styles for crafting images; however, three distinct styles were always intended for user selection.
The latest beta introduces a third option called “Sketch,” which emulates hand-drawn imagery as opposed to the more dimensional Animation style or simpler Illustrated graphics.
Described by Apple as providing “highly detailed” output characterized by striking contrasts against plain backgrounds, Sketch stands apart from its counterparts—Animation offers playful three-dimensional visuals while Illustration embraces vivid colors with bold outlines and simpler shapes.
Diverse Language Support in iOS 18.4
This upcoming update expands Apple Intelligence integration by supporting languages such as French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean along with Simplified Chinese., Additionally localized English is available for users based in Singapore and India.
Tentative Release Timeline for iOS 18.4
A single beta version of iOS 18.4 has been released so far for both developers and public testers alike; a second iteration will be delivered next week followed by ongoing testing throughout March dates before launching officially early April.
Siri Enhancements on Hold?
While there remains potential for integrating additional Siri functionalities linked to Apple Intelligence within subsequent betas before official release occurs., current indications suggest this might be unlikely given how close we are approaching launch date limits .
Rather than including them now , It seems more probable that these capabilities might roll out instead under an expected future update labeled as IOS version “iPhone OS”. In general , introducing major enhancements alongside minor updates like .5 versions isn’t common practice but remains feasible given contextual circumstances —gradual implementation trends have emerged regularly through ongoing shifts into newer platforms where IOS19’s development extends past pre-planned targets.
