Apple Is Giving Your iPhone a Simple But Standout New Productivity Feature
When Apple rolls out iOS 18.4 sometime in the next few weeks, it will deliver several useful new features your iPhone.
But if you have an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence — meaning any iPhone 16 model (including the iPhone 16e) and the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max — the software update will give you a particularly helpful feature.
It's called Priority Notifications.
iPhone owners know their Lock Screen can be the Wild West for Notifications. Unless you go through Settings and tediously select — and deselect — which apps can send you notifications, you're likely overwhelmed with sheer number of them.
Priority Notifications aims to fix that. When the feature is turned on, your iPhone's Lock Screen gains a separate section that's dedicated to the notifications that Apple Intelligence deems essential.
Here's how Apple describes Priority Notifications: 'Apple Intelligence can show you notifications that may be important in a separate section on the Lock Screen, so you can catch up on what you may have missed.'
From your Lock Screen, you'll first see the Priority Notifications section, which will house time-sensitive or important notifications. You'll still be able to see other notifications, but they won't appear first — you'll have to swipe up on your Lock Screen.
All in all, the feature promises to make it easier to see the notifications you want to see first.
When iOS 18.4 rolls out to your iPhone, Priority Notifications will be turned off by default … so you'll have to turn it on. Here's how.
Open the Settings app.
Scroll down and select Notifications.
Select Prioritize Notifications in the Apple Intelligence section.
Toggle it on.
The public beta of iOS 18.4 is available now. The official non-beta version is expected to be released in early April.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Apple Expects $1.1 Billion Tariff Hit in 4th Quarter After $800 Million Q3 Hit; CEO Tim Cook Warns ‘Many Factors That Could Change'
Apple CEO Tim Cook used part of the company's fiscal Q3 2025 earnings call to address a growing cost pressure that has little to do with supply chains or raw materials, and everything to do with geopolitics: tariffs. Cook disclosed that Apple (AAPL) absorbed roughly $800 million in tariff-related costs during the June quarter and expects that figure to climb to $1.1 billion in the September quarter, assuming no changes to current global tariff policies. More News from Barchart Lyft Generates Huge FCF Margins - LYFT Stock Is Too Cheap Powell, Trump Talks and Other Can't Miss Items this Week 'My Kid Will Never Ever Be Smarter Than an AI': OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Most Kids Won't Know a World Without AI Get exclusive insights with the FREE Barchart Brief newsletter. Subscribe now for quick, incisive midday market analysis you won't find anywhere else. 'Finally, the situation around tariffs is evolving, so let me provide some color there,' Cook told investors. 'For the June quarter, we incurred approximately $800 million of tariff-related costs. For the September quarter, assuming the current global tariff rates, policies and applications do not change for the balance of the quarter and no new tariffs are added, we estimate the impact to add about $1.1 billion to our costs.' Trade Tensions Pressure Margins The acknowledgment of higher tariff costs highlights the headwinds Apple faces from ongoing trade disputes and shifting policy environments. With global supply chains deeply intertwined — especially in China, where much of Apple's manufacturing still occurs — tariffs can significantly squeeze operating margins. Cook stopped short of detailing which product lines or geographies are most affected, but warned that projecting beyond the September quarter is difficult. 'This estimate should not be used to make projections for future quarters as there are many factors that could change, including tariff rates,' he clarified. Investor Concerns: Impact on Pricing and Profitability For investors, the tariff discussion raises immediate questions: Will Apple absorb the increased costs and take the hit to margins, or will it pass some of the burden on to consumers through higher prices? Historically, Apple has attempted to shield its customers from sudden price jumps on flagship products, instead optimizing its supply chain or adjusting regional pricing strategies to offset trade friction. However, a $1.1 billion quarterly cost increase is significant enough to potentially influence gross margin guidance in upcoming quarters. Geopolitical Risk in Focus The warning underscores Apple's ongoing exposure to geopolitical risk, especially as trade policies between the U.S., China, and other manufacturing hubs remain volatile. Apple has made progress in diversifying its production footprint into countries like India and Vietnam, but the scale of those operations still lags behind its exposure to China. If tariffs persist or expand, Apple may face renewed pressure to accelerate diversification — a move that could require additional capital expenditures and take years to fully implement. Macro Context The global tariff landscape remains fluid, with recent policy debates in both Washington and Beijing signaling that tech products are likely to remain in the crosshairs of trade negotiations. For Apple, the stakes are high; any escalation in tariffs could weigh on both earnings and investor sentiment, particularly if cost pressures coincide with weaker consumer demand. While the September quarter estimate offers a concrete figure, Cook's caution about unpredictability serves as a reminder that trade-related costs could swing significantly from quarter to quarter. For now, Apple appears poised to manage the increase without disrupting its product release cadence — but any major policy shifts could change that calculus quickly. On the date of publication, Caleb Naysmith did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Does TSA Let You Travel With Apple AirTags In Your Carry-On Luggage?
Apple AirTags are the compact and convenient tool for tracking small items such as keychains, phones, or wallets that keep you sane when traveling. AirTags allow you to track anything accidentally left behind, and for travelers, attaching an AirTag to your luggage can offer peace of mind. You can even share an AirTag's location with an airline to help find your lost luggage. However, does the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) allow this? The short answer is yes. Before you decide to pack an AirTag into your luggage, however, it's important to know the rules and regulations surrounding them from the TSA. AirTags utilize a lithium battery, and the TSA has strict regulations about them, mainly due to the myriad of safety concerns surrounding the more powerful lithium-ion batteries. Lithium batteries tend to be safer than their lithium-ion counterparts because they are smaller and have a lower energy density than lithium-ion batteries. The AirTag's battery is a replaceable CR2032 coin battery, the same battery typically used in watches and key fobs. The CR2032 uses lithium to store and release energy, which, fortunately, the TSA finds acceptable for storing in your carry-on and checked baggage. Read more: 7 Under-The-Radar Apple Watch Features You Should Be Using What The TSA Says About AirTags According to the TSA, lithium batteries can be brought in carry-on luggage as long as their capacity is less than 100 watt hours and the content of lithium is less than 2 grams. Luckily for those who are prone to losing things, the CR2032 within the AirTag falls below these regulations. Apple doesn't disclose the specific CR2032 battery that Apple uses in the AirTag, but a standard CR2032 3V battery delivers 2.35 watt hours and contains just 0.10 grams of lithium. This means that AirTags are safe to fly in your carry-on cargo, as they are well below the 100-watt-hour and 2-gram lithium content restriction. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also clarified that AirTags and other small trackers can travel in checked baggage as well as in carry-on bags during flights. No matter where your next adventure takes you, you can feel free to travel with peace of mind and place an AirTag in your luggage. If you do end up losing your luggage, there are more than 30 airlines currently that will help you locate your lost luggage with the AirTag's "share Item" feature. Enjoyed this article? Sign up to BGR's free newsletter for the latest in tech and entertainment, plus tips and advice you'll actually use. Read the original article on BGR.
Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
iPhone 17 release date rumors heating up — 3 key dates to put on your calendars
We're hopeful that Apple will tell us the iPhone 17's launch date as soon as next week. But until we get official confirmation, let's talk best guesses. We expect that the new iPhones will finally appear within just a couple of weeks. But seeing the iPhone 17 series officially for the first time is only part of the process. We'll still have to wait for both pre-orders to open and for the phones to hit store shelves before you we can get our hands on one. Going by Apple's past iPhone launches, plus rumors and a little conjecture, here is what we can gather about when we'll see the iPhone 17 event, featuring the base model, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and brand new iPhone 17 Air — and when we might be able to buy one. Apple has, for the past several years, been consistent with the launch date of the iPhone, showing its latest models to the world in the second week of September. There have been exceptions to this — 2020 and the height of the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the iPhone 12's announcement to October that year — but mostly we can predict Apple's launches reliably. If that wasn't strong enough evidence for you, then Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, a reliable Apple tipster, has claimed Apple is looking at a launch between September 8 and 12. Since Apple normally does its launches in the first half of the week on a Tuesday, we can assume this year's will happen at the start of that suggested window. To make sure it's ready for customers, or perhaps just to build excitement, Apple normally puts the new iPhones up for pre-orders on the Friday after the initial announcement. You can check out the store pages from announcement day, but you can't hit the buy button until later. Pre-orders usually open at 8 a.m. EST/5 p.m. PST, so unless you're in Europe, you'll need to be up early to stake your claim on one. Otherwise, you might be in for a longer wait, as popular models and colors frequently come in and out of stock, sometimes leaving users to wait months for their phone to arrive. This is the day we should finally see the iPhone 17 in stores, online and offline. You may not be able to grab one immediately, since retailers will have to take care of their pre-ordering customers first, but you can at least go and check one out in person if you need to handle the different iPhone 17s to help make your mind up. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. This is another date that can sometimes vary — for example, the iPhone 14 Plus came two weeks later than the rest of its family. With a new Air model likely launching this year, it's possible that Apple will hold it back a little. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
