Apple's first iOS 18.4 beta has arrived - here's what's new
Apple Intelligence gets an update, there's new Vision Pro app, Mail gets redesigned, and more
🍎 Apple has released the first iOS 18.4 beta
🥽 The update includes the new Vision Pro app, Ambient Music, and a new Food section in Apple News+
🤖 Siri doesn’t appear to be getting updated after all
🦾 Apple Intelligence will be expanding to more regions with this update
📱 iOS 18.4 will more than likely roll out to everyone in April
Apple’s next version of iOS 18 seems like it’ll be a big one. The first iOS 18.4 beta has finally dropped, and so far, it looks like Apple will be adding a good amount of features to the system, including a new section in Apple News+ for recipes, a broader Apple Intelligence roll-out, and the Vision Pro app that coincides with today’s visionOS 2.4 beta release.
What’s new in iOS 18.4 beta 1?
🥽 The official Apple Vision Pro app. Apple is adding a new app to your iPhone with iOS 18.4 called Vision Pro App. It’s meant to serve as a companion for your Vision Pro, allowing you to sift through curated content recommendations, download content for offline viewing, and access information about your Vision Pro without having to wear it. You can also activate guest sessions from the app if you want to show someone how cool your Vision Pro is.
🎹 Ambient Music for studying, sleeping, and more. There’s a new feature that’s similar to the white noise options in Accessibility settings called Ambient Music. The feature allows you to play generic music from Apple Music for four individual moods: Chill, Productivity, Sleep, and Wellbeing. You can play the music by using Control Center and flick between tracks using the Dynamic Island.
🍽️ Apple News+ gets a slew of recipes. Apple is adding a new Food section to the News+ app that gives you access to tens of thousands of different recipes, healthy eating tips, kitchen tips, and more from publishers like Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Allrecipes, Good Food, and Serious Eats. New recipes will be added daily, and there’ll be a special cooking mode that’ll walk you through how to make the dish step by step in real time.
🤖 Apple Intelligence gets an (incremental) upgrade. Apple Intelligence isn’t getting a huge update with iOS 18.4, but Apple says it will be expanding availability to more languages including French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (simplified), and localized English for Singapore and India. In addition, Apple is introducing a new feature called Prioritized Notifications that’ll float the most important notifications you receive to the top of the list, and there’s a new Photographic Style in Image Playground. Siri isn’t getting updated yet, but Apple says more new features will arrive in the coming months.
✉️ Revamped Mail app for iPadOS. Apple’s redesigned Mail app is finally rolling out to the iPad with iPadOS 18.4. The new version comes with new dedicated sections for your mail that automatically sorts messages into Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. It also uses Apple Intelligence to emphasize important messages, and there’s a refreshed UI that looks sleeker and more visually appealing.
🗣️ Change your default translation app. Apple also added the ability to change your default translation app in iOS 18.4. In Europe, you can also change your default navigation app, which means those in the EU can rely solely on Google Maps if they aren’t satisfied with Apple Maps (like most of us).
🔎 More to come? We’re in the early days of the iOS 18.4 beta process, so more features could pop up over time.
When will iOS 18.4 come out?
Apple confirmed in a press release that Apple Intelligence will expand to more languages in April, and since it’s tied to iOS 18.4, we can expect the update - alongside iPadOS 18.4 - to roll out then.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.
