Apple is set to release the first iOS 18.4 beta next week, bringing a host of new features and improvements. Here’s what iPhone users can expect from the upcoming update:
Siri Gets Smarter with Apple Intelligence
iOS 18.4 will bring several upgrades to Siri, powered by Apple Intelligence. These improvements will allow Siri to better understand your personal context and provide more accurate responses.
Siri will also gain on-screen awareness and deeper app controls, but Apple Intelligence will only be available on iPhone 15 Pro models and later.
More Languages for Apple Intelligence
Apple is expanding the availability of Apple Intelligence to more languages, including English (India), Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Some languages will be available in April, with more to come throughout 2025.
Improved News Summaries
Apple promises to improve the accuracy of the news summaries feature in iOS 18.4. In iOS 18.3, summaries were visually distinct but sometimes inaccurate. The upcoming update will hopefully make these summaries more reliable.
New Emoji on the Way
As expected, iOS 18.4 will introduce new emoji as part of Unicode 16. Some of the new designs include a face with bags under the eyes, a fingerprint, a leafless tree, root vegetables, a harp, and more.
EU Users Can Set Default Map and Translation Apps
In line with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, iOS 18.4 will allow users in the EU to set third-party apps as their default for navigation and translation.
Users can choose Google Maps, Waze, or other alternatives as their default map app, and similarly set Google Translate or Microsoft Translator as their preferred translation app.
Robot Vacuum Support in the Home App
iOS 18.4 will add robot vacuum support in the Home app. Once available, you will be able to control functions of your robot vacuum, like power, cleaning mode, and mop status directly through the Home app or Siri.
What’s Next?
The iOS 18.4 update is packed with new features and improvements that will enhance the iPhone user experience. Stay tuned for more details as the beta release approaches!
