I've been testing iOS 18.4 — try these 5 features first after you upgrade
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iOS 18.4 is out of beta and available as a full release for anyone to download on their iPhone. Though at this point, the update seems to be getting more attention for what's not included than the features that actually are there.
This update was expected to be the last significant one ahead of this summer's iOS 19 preview. As a result, we were looking for iOS 18.4 to deliver some promised Apple Intelligence features that had yet to materialize during the rollout of Apple's AI tools. Specifically, iOS 18.4 was supposed to bring new capabilities to Siri that made the assistant more aware of context and capable of interacting with apps on your phone.
That's not happening, nor will it occur any time soon. Earlier this month, Apple confirmed that the Siri revamp would be delayed, with some people speculating that we may not see the features promised to us last year until 2026. "It's going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features and we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year," an Apple spokesperson conceded in a statement to Daring Fireball.
While Apple's AI struggles are certainly disappointing, it would be a shame if they were to overshadow the enhancements that Apple has included with iOS 18.4. While not as significant as a Siri overhaul, features included in iOS 18.4 do bring some new capabilities and quality-of-life improvements to the iPhone.
Even better, with a couple noteworthy exceptions, the big changes aren't tied to Apple Intelligence. That means anyone with a compatible iPhone — i.e., an iPhone XR, iPhone XS/XS Max or later — can enjoy the benefits that iOS 18.4 delivers.
I've been trying out iOS 18.4 across multiple iPhones since the initial betas came out. And I've found a few features that are definitely worth trying out if you're only now upgrading to the latest version of Apple's iPhone software.
Let's start with an Apple Intelligence feature if only because this is one of the better instances of Apple's AI efforts. Visual Intelligence lets you use the camera on your iPhone as a search tool. You can point your iPhone camera at signs in another language to get a translation, or you can use it to capture times and dates of upcoming events you see on a flyer. And yes, you can turn to Apple Intelligence to look up information about what your camera captures similar to Google Lens.
Previously, that functionality was limited to iPhone 16 models, largely because they came with a camera capture button that had been necessary for accessing Visual Intelligence. iOS 18.4 adds a shortcut to launch Visual Intelligence that you can tie to your phone's Action button, making the feature available to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Am I flagging this up because I have an iPhone 15 Pro on hand, and this immediately makes my own phone more useful? I will not pretend otherwise. But the occasional hiccup aside, Visual Intelligence performs well, and it's nice to see feature parity restored to all iPhones capable of support Apple Intelligence.
An iOS 18.4 addition that everyone can enjoy — and one that's probably my favorite new feature in the update — is the arrival of ambient music in Apple's Control Center. If music playing in the background helps you concentrate on work or wind down before bed, you should definitely check this out.
Just swipe down from the upper right right corner of your iPhone screen to access the Control Center, and then press and hold on the screen to edit it. If you tap Add a Control, you'll find four new ambient music options as you scroll through the list of various Control Center shortcuts. You can even add an ambient music control to your phone's lock screen for quicker access.
If I have a criticism about the feature, it's that I wish there were a way to toggle between various ambient music modes like Productivity and Chill without having to dedicate different spots on the Control Center for those specific shortcuts. But still, as a person who needs music in the background to focus sometimes, I find the addition of ambient music to be a welcome one.
Apple includes some minor changes in each iOS update that aren't exactly headline-grabbers, but still make the iPhone any easier device to use. iOS 18.4 includes a couple of these changes that are worth noting.
When using Safari, you may notice that a list of your recent searches now appears when you open a new tab and tap the search bar. Maybe that doesn't bug you, but it's not the most secure way to go through life. The shipping version of iOS 18.4 adds a toggle in Settings to hide your recent Safari searches from anyone who happens to glance at your iPhone screen at an inopportune moment.
The other minor change in iOS 18.4 that's caught my eye is the ability to pause app downloads rather than stopping them completely. That way, you don't lose any progress when you resume downloading app when your network connection is stronger or you're back on Wi-Fi — or really whatever reason you have for mashing that pause button.
Switch back to Apple Intelligence-specific improvements, iOS 18.4 sees the arrival of priority notifications. These are alerts that are deemed to be time-sensitive by the on-board AI within your phone, which then floats them to the top of your notification stack.
Here's an example: My wife texted me in Messages about an upcoming dentist appointment. The priority notifications feature figures that's a more pressing concern than the goofy meme my daughter texted to me, so my wife's alert appears first, regardless of the order in which those texts were sent.
When I was testing the iOS 18.4 beta, I didn't alway appreciate how another Apple Intelligence feature — notification summaries — would truncate the texts into an alert I couldn't easily parse. But as someone who's not always paying attention to messages as they come into my iPhone, I do like the fact that the most important ones will be displayed more prominently.
To take advantage of priority notifications, you've got to go into the Notifications menu of the Settings and turn the feature on. If you've got a phone that supports Apple Intelligence, I suggest that you do, if only to see if the feature fits into your workflow.
Apple Intelligence has been rolling out slowly to different parts of the world, debuting in the U.S. last October before arriving in the U.K., Australia, Canada and New Zealand late last year. iOS 18.4 lets the EU join the part, and there support for more languages.
Specifically, iOS 18.4 now supports simplified Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish. Localized English is also available in Singapore and India.
If you speak those languages or live in those countries and have an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone, that's a big deal. And it's an even bigger deal with Apple, which has said that its new iPhones sell better in places where Apple Intelligence is available.
Those aren't the only iOS 18.4 additions. Apple has added other things that I either haven't had a chance to try or that I'm a bit more dubious about. But I'll highlight them here in case they're capabilities that matter to you.
I have not now nor ever been someone who cares about emojis, though I recognize that puts me in a very small minority. If you're someone who does find emojis to be the ultimate form of human expression, you've got eight new ones courtesy of iOS 18.4. Study them well, and use them as you will.
On the Apple Intelligence front, the Image Playground app adds a third drawing style — Sketch joins Animation and Illustration. That certainly starts to tackle one complaint I've had about Apple's image generation feature — not enough styles. But my overall observation that images generated in Image Playground really don't have practical uses remains.
One iOS 18.4 addition that I haven't tried but would like to centers around the addition of food-related content to the News Plus subscription service. Specifically, Apple is bringing recipes to its News app. Most of the "tens of thousands" of recipes Apple is introducing will be for News Plus subscribers, but a few will be available to everyone — think of it as your free taste.
I'm a bit of a foodie myself, and I'm always looking for new ideas of what to whip up for dinner. So that might just tempt me to part with the $12.99/month that Apple charges for News Plus. That service's growth beyond just a collection of magazine articles and news stories to include games and now recipes is one of the more interesting developments among Apple's various subscription packages.
I'm a long-time iPhone owner, but I rarely use Apple Intelligence — here's why
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Todd Weaver has an important message for Apple as it faces growing demands by President Donald Trump to reshore some of its smartphone production: Don't listen to the conventional wisdom. Experts have long said that manufacturing iPhones in the U.S., rather than Asia, as Apple does, would be logistically impossible and ridiculously expensive. But Weaver argues companies can indeed do it successfully, and at a similar or only slightly higher cost—if given several years to navigate the inevitable complications. Weaver should know: His startup, Purism, is among the few, if not the only business, that assembles smartphones in the U.S. In fact, the U.S. pedigree is the main selling point of his company's Made in America device, the Liberty Phone. 'It is challenging to do this in the U.S.,' Weaver acknowledges. 'It's probably the reason I'm the only one.' 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Its Liberty Phone, manufactured near San Diego, comes with U.S.-made electronics installed on a metal chassis from China. It retails for $1,999. Another phone, the Librem 5, is mostly the same design, except it's made in China with Chinese parts, and costs $799. The company also produces tablet computers, laptops, and servers. Purism pitches its Made in America device as more secure and privacy friendly than those from major manufactures like Apple. Because all the critical parts and assembly are domestic, it's easy to verify that they haven't been tampered with by a foreign adversary that wants to snoop or stuff them with explosives. The phones also run on a Linux-based open source operating system. Anyone with technical know-how who is worried about the security can review the code—unlike with more popular phones, which come with operating systems that can't be easily inspected. 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If you haven't purchased a Bluetooth tracker yet, there are plenty of reasons to do so. With the help of one of these gadgets, you can easily find your phone, keys or wallet and save yourself a headache if you're prone to losing them. You can keep track of your luggage while you're traveling. You can attach a tracker to your pet's collar to make sure you always know where they are. Simply put, Bluetooth trackers can be one of those inventions you didn't know you needed until you bought it. But which one is best? You've probably heard the most about Apple's AirTags, which are reader-beloved. But they're not the only ones on the market, and they aren't compatible with non-Apple devices. Below, we broke down some of the best Bluetooth trackers and what makes each of them stand out, so you can choose the best option for your needs. To create our list, we only considered options with a minimum 4-star rating on Amazon, which eliminated products like the Chipolo Pop and Pebblebee Clip. The undefeated Apple AirTag for Apple users Highlights: Works with Apple's Find My network, ultra-slim and small design, most precise location tracking, water- and dust-resistant with IP67 ratingDrawbacks: Doesn't work with Android devicesThe AirTag was crowned one of the best Bluetooth trackers by Wirecutter, and for good reason. The AirTag's ultra-wideband technology is extremely accurate for helping you find lost items. (Note that it won't work on iPhone 6s or earlier models, but devices of this age are also no longer supported by Apple.) The AirTag setup is also ridiculously easy, as it uses the Find My network — so if you have an Apple device, you don't even need to download a separate app. You can put the AirTag into Lost Mode so that you get a notification when it's detected in Find My, and the AirTag also has a built-in speaker so it can play sounds when you're looking for it.(Yes, AirTag batteries can be replaced, but there are reports that certain bitterant coatings can cause incompatibility. While Apple specifically suggests using a Duracell 2032 lithium battery with bitterant coating, anecdotal online evidence suggests that even this Apple-recommended battery doesn't work. The brand also advises looking for batteries that clearly advertise compatibility with AirTags.)Bottom line: If you're already an Apple user, this is a no-brainer choice for convenience of setup. The ultra-precise location tracking is also a great reason to choose this it from Amazon for $24.95. The Tile by Life360 Pro for unbeatable battery life Highlights: works with both iOS and Android, can send an SOS alert or make a silenced phone ring, 500-foot range, has a replaceable battery, water- and dust-resistant with IP68 ratingDrawbacks: The most expensive tracker, bigger than some alternativesThe Tile Pro is bigger and more expensive than the AirTag and some of Tile's other offerings (more on those later), but it works with more devices (iOS and Android) and uses the Life360 app, which you may already have downloaded. It boasts a 500-foot Bluetooth range and a few features the AirTag lacks, like the ability to send loved ones an SOS alert if you're ever in an unsafe situation. The Tile Pro's battery, which lasts a year, can also be replaced with affordable batteries to help the device last even line: The Tile Pro is a great choice for Android users, and the extra few dollars over other models may very well be worth it thanks to the replaceable it from Amazon for $34.99 (also available in 2- and 4-packs). The Tile by Life360 Mate, for a cheaper and smaller option Highlights: Smaller and more affordable than the Pro, has many of the Pro's same features, comes in multiple colors, water- and dust-resistant with IP68 ratingDrawbacks: Has a shorter Bluetooth range, battery is not replaceableThe Tile Mate can add some fun to Bluetooth tracking with more color options, as pictured here. It's cheaper, shorter and narrower than the Tile Pro, so if you're hoping for a less clunky design that still has the SOS alert capability and the convenience of using Life360, the Tile Mate is for you. Just note that the Mate has a range of 350 feet compared to the Pro's 500, and that you can't replace the line: This may be a good starter tracker if you're not sure about committing to the Pro yet, and stands out from the pack with its fun it from Amazon for $24.99 (available in six colors). The Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 for Samsung users Highlights: One of the more affordable trackers, uses ultra-wideband technology like the AirTag, water- and dust-resistant with IP67 ratingDrawbacks: Only compatible with Samsung Galaxy devicesThe Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 uses Samsung's SmartThings Find app to help you keep track of your things with ultra-wideband technology (this is similar to the AirTag using the Find My network). The SmartTag 2 can send out audible signals to help you find your lost items. Lost Mode also displays your contact information and a message on the smartphone of whoever found line: If you have Samsung Galaxy devices, this could be a good way to keep track of them, but it probably won't be relevant for most it from Amazon for $19.05. The Tile by Life360 Slim, designed specifically for wallets Highlights: Great for wallets, notebooks and other flat items, three-year battery life, works with Life360, water- and dust-resistant with IP68 ratingDrawbacks: May not fit all wallets, is not bendable, some reviewers say it's a little quietWhile many things you want to track may have clips to attach trackers, that can be trickier with something like a wallet. Enter the Tile Slim, which is designed to be as thick as two credit cards and slide right in a wallet, passport holder, notebook or tablet case. You can use the Life360 app to ring the Slim when it's within 200 feet to make it easier to find. Just make sure you check the dimensions of your wallet before you buy so you're certain the Slim can line: This is a great idea for keeping track of wallets and similar items, but it'll only make sense for you if it actually fits the places you want to store it from Target for $29.99. The lesser-known Chipolo ONE Spot, which is basically a cheaper AirTag Highlights: The most affordable option, works with the Find My appDrawbacks: Has mixed reviews for battery life and durability, less water-resistant and not dust-resistant with IPX5 ratingIf you want the ability to use the Find My network without paying so much for an individual AirTag, the Chipolo ONE Spot can provide an alternative. (Right now, it's only avaiable in a four-pack on Amazon, but each tracker comes out to less than half the price of an AirTag.) Unlike the AirTag, this has a keyring hole so you can directly attach it to your items. Based on the reviews summary at Amazon, it seems like the quality overall for this one may not be as great long-term as the other options on this list, and the price reflects that. (It does still have a 4-star rating, indicating reviewers find it to be a good value.)Bottom line: We don't recommend this one over the more popular options above, though if you're looking for a cheap option, this could it from Amazon for $17.
