Overview of New Features in iOS 18.4

Apple has announced the upcoming release of iOS 18.4, expected to roll out this week, possibly as soon as tomorrow evening. This latest update comes with a detailed changelog, revealing a variety of new features and enhancements.

One of the major highlights of iOS 18.4 is the extension of language support for Apple Intelligence, marking its official launch within the European Union. The update introduces eight additional languages, including German, French, Italian, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese (specifically for Brazil), and simplified Chinese. Furthermore, English has been optimized for users in India and Singapore. The Image Playground feature now includes a sketching option, while key notifications will be prioritized for easier visibility.

For users of the Vision Pro, a new control and content app will be available, along with an App Store for pre-loading content. Apple News+ will introduce a 'Food' section featuring recipes, cooking tips, and guides, although these updates remain limited to users in the USA, UK, Australia, and Canada.

The Photos app is set to receive improved filters, allowing for better organization of media types and collections, and it will no longer automatically export hidden photos. Additionally, a revamped search overview in Safari and an enhanced setup assistant for child accounts will be included, making it more challenging for children to bypass screen time restrictions.

New widgets for the Podcasts app and AI-generated reviews in the App Store are also part of this update. Apple has finally added support for Matter vacuum cleaners, enhancing home automation capabilities via the Home app. Users will be able to pause App Store downloads and resume them from where they left off, rather than starting over.

In the Control Center, additional options are being introduced, along with new emojis. Alongside iOS 18.4, updates for iPadOS 18.4, macOS 15.4, watchOS, tvOS, and HomePod firmware are anticipated, with AirPods Max users set to benefit from enhanced USB-C functionalities.