Apple’s upcoming iOS 18.4 release is set to enhance user experiences significantly with a suite of new features powered by Apple Intelligence. Here’s a comprehensive guide to what you can expect from this update.
Onscreen Awareness for Siri
A standout feature of iOS 18.4 is the enhancement of Siri’s onscreen awareness. This feature allows Siri to process requests by recognizing the context of what is displayed on your screen. For instance, if you receive an address in a message, you can ask Siri to save it directly to your contacts without the need for further clarification.
Siri’s New App Action Catalog
Siri will also gain the capability to perform actions across multiple apps without opening them. This includes searching for photos, applying edits, and organizing them into folders, all via voice commands, making multitasking smoother and more intuitive.
Personal Context Knowledge
Siri’s understanding of personal context will see significant improvements. The assistant will be able to retrieve information like recipes or documents sent across various platforms—emails, texts, or notes—based on your past interactions, enhancing its utility as a personal assistant.
Priority Notifications
With iOS 18.4, the system will prioritize notifications using advanced language understanding, making it easier for users to see the most urgent updates without manual sorting. This feature aims to streamline how notifications are managed, pushing critical alerts to the forefront.
Sketch Style in Image Playground
The update will reintroduce the Sketch style in the Image Playground app, expanding creative options for users to transform their photos into unique artistic styles directly on their devices.
Expanded Apple Intelligence in the EU
The EU region will receive full support for Apple Intelligence features with iOS 18.4. This marks a significant expansion, as previous AI functionalities were limited to Mac devices within the EU.
Support for New AI Languages
iOS 18.4 plans to roll out support for multiple new languages, enhancing the accessibility of Apple’s features to a broader audience. This update includes major languages such as Chinese, French, German, and several others, improving the overall inclusivity of Apple devices.
Release Timing
iOS 18.4 is expected to roll out around mid-March, following Apple’s typical release patterns for iOS updates. This update is not just a technological upgrade but a significant enhancement to the iOS ecosystem, integrating more comprehensive and user-focused functionalities.
