Apple has just released iOS 18.4 beta 1 to developers, introducing several new features and refinements.
While the update doesn’t include major Apple Intelligence upgrades, it brings enhanced notifications, Apple News+ Food, CarPlay changes, and more. Here’s everything you need to know.
Apple News+ Food Arrives
iOS 18.4 introduces Apple News+ Food, a new section featuring thousands of curated recipes from top publishers like Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and Allrecipes.
Subscribers will also get access to restaurant reviews, healthy eating tips, and kitchen essentials in a clutter-free interface.
Priority Notifications Make Alerts Smarter
Apple has enabled Priority Notifications, an Apple Intelligence feature that highlights important alerts with a distinct design, making them easier to spot.
New Image Playground Sketch Style
The Image Playground now includes the long-awaited Sketch style, adding to the previously available Animation and Illustration styles.
Apple Intelligence Expands to More Languages
Apple Intelligence now supports French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese. Additionally, localized English is now available for Singapore and India.
Genmoji Gets a Bigger Button
Apple has enlarged the Genmoji button on the emoji keyboard, making it easier to access. A new popup message also introduces users to the feature.
More Default App Options
iOS 18.4 allows users to set default apps in more categories:
- Default Translate app (available globally)
- Default Navigation app (available in the EU)
Ambient Music Arrives in Control Center
A new Ambient Music feature adds four Control Center toggles for Chill, Productivity, Sleep, and Wellbeing modes. These are linked to Apple Music playlists, but users can customize them.
CarPlay Gets a UI Update
Certain CarPlay systems now feature a third row of app icons on the Home screen, improving navigation.
New Mail App Comes to iPad
The redesigned Mail app, introduced in iOS 18.2, is now available on iPads with iPadOS 18.4. It automatically categorizes emails into Primary, Promotions, Transactions, and Updates for better organization.
Apple Vision Pro App Coming Soon
A new Apple Vision Pro app will be available in iOS 18.4 and visionOS 2.4 in April, offering users a dedicated space to explore Vision Pro features.
Other Notable Changes
- Photos app now includes a list view for editing albums.
- New Age Range setup helps Apple automatically apply parental controls and safety features based on age.
- New Podcast widgets allow users to add Library and Shows widgets to the Home screen.
- Siri gets two new Australian voices.
- Control Center tweaks include an updated Focus mode picker, new volume animation, and redesigned Cellular Data toggle.
With iOS 18.4, Apple continues to refine its software experience, adding smarter notifications, better customization, and improved accessibility.
The public beta is expected to be released next week, with a final version arriving in April.
