Apple has deployed iOS 18.4 to all compatible iPhones. The software update adds support for eight new languages on Apple Intelligence, recipes to Apple News+, and seven new emojis. Users in the European Union can also set their default navigation app other than Apple Maps.
You should be prompted about the update automatically, but if not, you can initiate the download manually by going to Settings, General, and then Software Update. Apple Intelligence features are only available on iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
TechRepublic breaks down all the biggest new features coming to your iPhone with iOS 18.4.
SEE: Apple iOS 19: Here’s What to Expect & When
Apple Intelligence: New languages, EU access, Vision Pro integration
Apple Intelligence now supports these additional languages: French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (simplified), and localised English for Singapore and India. It is also now finally available to iPhone and iPad users in the EU after “regulatory uncertainties brought about by the Digital Markets Act” held up its release in the region.
Apple Intelligence also now reads and prioritises your iPhone notifications, putting the most urgent alerts at the top, and a “Sketch” style option has been added to Image Playground. It also provides summaries of user reviews for apps listed in the App Store.
New emojis
iOS 18.4 has seven new emojis added to the iPhone keyboard to help you express yourself better in messages:
- Face with bags under eyes
- Fingerprint
- Leafless tree
- Root vegetable
- Harp
- Shovel
- Splatter
New system languages support
Ten new system languages are now available on iPhones with iOS 18.4: Bangla, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
Default navigation app choice for EU users
iPhone users in the EU will be able to choose their default navigation app with this update from Apple Maps to alternatives like Google Maps or Waze; this will apply to both the handset and CarPlay. The option has been added in response to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which requires Apple to allow more competition and give consumers greater control over app preferences. Apple first announced this and a number of other changes necessary for DMA compliance in August.
SEE: EU Cracks Down on Apple for Anti-Competitive Behavior
Vision Pro app
For iPhone users with a Vision Pro headset, upgrading to iOS 18.4 will add the new Vision Pro app to your device. This helps users discover and download Vision Pro content, manage device settings, and set up Guest Mode.
Apple News+ recipes
For budding chefs, subscribers of Apple News+ will find a whole host of recipes in the app that they can search through and save for later. When you’re ready to cook, you can load the recipe in Cooking Mode, which displays each step clearly and individually. The new Food section also shows cooking tips and restaurant reviews.
SEE: Apple’s Next Big Thing is AI on Smart Watches
Photos: New filters and collection features
The Photos app has been updated with new filters that let users show or hide images based on criteria such as whether they’ve been shared with others, synced from a Mac or PC, or included in albums. Albums can be sorted by Date Modified, and items in the Media Types and Utilities collections can be reordered to prioritise videos, selfies, or screenshots.
Filters like Oldest First will be available across all collections, and the Recently Viewed and Recently Shared collections can be disabled. In addition, Hidden photos won’t be imported to a Mac or PC if Use Face ID is applied to unlock them.
CarPlay: Big screen display and sports scores
CarPlay has been updated with iOS 18.4. Now, if the screen in your car is large enough, the CarPlay Home screen will show three rows of apps rather than two. Sports scores can also appear on a new Now Playing interface, thanks to the updated API made available to sports apps.
Parental controls updated
Apple has simplified the process of creating a Child Account by automatically applying child-appropriate settings before the setup is fully complete, allowing parents to step away and finish later. It has also made it so that the Screen Time App Limits remain enforced even if a child uninstalls and reinstalls an app.
