Yesterday Apple pushed out the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate to developers, signifying that the update will likely ship to public-facing customers next week.Although the release has faced some controversy due to the delays of the advanced Siri rollout, which was largely expected to be a part of iOS 18.4, there are still of reasons to anticipate this update.In this episode of , watch our hands-on video as we step through over 50 new updates and changes found in iOS 18.4 Release Candidate.
Be sure to subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more hands-on iOS walkthroughs.Some of my favorite gear Apple Polishing Cloth Jeff's favorite screen cleaning cloth that polishes to a shine.What’s new in iOS 18.4 Release Candidate? Although there are way too many changes to cover everything in this written post, I cherry-picked 10 of the standout features that I think many of you will appreciate.
For a full look at everything new, watch the nearly-20-minute exposé.AirPods Max USB-C updates Apple surprised us by announcing that iOS 18.4 would bring considerable new updates to AirPods Max with USB-C.The update adds supports for wired headphone connectivity via a USB-C connection, giving it parity with the previous Lightning-enabled AirPods Max.
More importantly, the update enables 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio compatibility, and ultra-low latency, which should be a boon for creators.With this update, the USB-C AirPods Max seem a lot more tempting.Visual Intelligence Control Center shortcut With the release of the iPhone 16e, which lacks the Camera Control button found on its higher-priced brethren, Apple made it possible to invoke Visual Intelligence via alternate means.
The good news is that this feature has trickled over to the other Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone hardware, most notably, the iPhone 15 Pro.As of iOS 18.4, users can now access Visual Intelligence via a Control Center shortcut.By extension, this means that you can assign Visual Intelligence to launch via a Lock Screen shortcut, or via the Action button.
This solves one of the most glaring omissions for iPhone 15 Pro users, whose devices otherwise supported the full gamut of available Apple Intelligence features.Some of my favorite gear M4 Mac mini The M4 Mac mini is pound-for-pound the best value in Mac computers in Apple's history.Related Video: iPhone 16e full unboxing and review Ambient Music Four customizable Ambient Music stations are available via Control Center shortcuts, and like the aforementioned Visual Intelligence shortcut, these too, can be assigned to the Action button or as a Lock Screen shortcut.
Four ambient music types are available initially, including Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing.Each type corresponds to a specific playlist that can be customized.For example, the Chill ambient music shortcut can be assigned to the Piano Chill, Ambient Chill, Lo-Fi Jazz, or Pure Chill playlists available via Apple Music.
Even better is the fact that each of these ambient music types can be further customized with a user’s own custom playlist, if desired.New Mail app comes to iPad (and Mac) The updated Mail app featuring categories has been available in the iOS beta for a while now, but up until iOS 18.4, it’s been unavailable on the iPad.iPadOS users will be happy to learn that the new category layout is now available on Apple’s tablets, which will make it less awkward switching between iOS and iPadOS.
Some of my favorite gear AirPods Pro 2 Jeff Benjamin's favorite wireless earbuds; they just keep getting better.Handy Photos app updates The Photos app gains several super-handy additions in iOS 18.4: There a two new filter types: Not in an Album, and Shared with You.You can rearrange Utilities and Media Types You can view the main Album page using a Key Photo view instead of the default list view I find the new Shared with You filter to be especially useful, because it quickly lets you see all of the photos that have been sent to you from friends and family via an app like Messages.
Apple News+ food recipes Apple News+ users will enjoy the new Food Recipes section in the News app, which is available on the iPhone, but looks best on the larger iPad display.The update features large step-by-step recipe instructions, complete with built-in timers to follow along as you prepare your meal.Seems like a feature that might be ideal for a HomePad like device, no? New macOS Proximity-based setup New Mac users will be happy to find a new proximity-based setup option for newer Macs running macOS 15.4 or later.
This setup option is similar to the proximity setup that’s long been available on the iPhone and iPad, saving you time during initial setup.Some of my favorite gear Whoosh! Screen Cleaner Jeff Benjamin's favorite screen cleaner for Apple products.Robot Vacuum support over Matter I’ve yet to be able to test it out, but Robot Vacuum support is officially available over Matter in iOS 18.4, and products like the Switchbot S10 have already been tested with the beta.
Expect a full review of the Home app’s Robot Vacuum functionality from yours truly in the near future.New Emoji It’s not the most exciting new Emoji lineup, but 18.4 brings several new characters to the table as a part of the latest Unicode update.Included is a new baggy-eyed emoji, shovel, harp, and fingerprint, among several others.
Prioritize notifications iOS 18.4 brings a brand-new Apple Intelligence-branded feature to the table – Priority Notifications.The goal of Priority Notifications is to surface the most important notifications and make them stand out on your Lock Screen.Users can venture into Settings > Notifications > Priority Notifications, and filter the apps that they would like to use with the feature.
9to5Mac’s Take As you can see, iOS 18.4 is jam-packed with some compelling new updates, and this list is just the tip of the iceberg as far as what’s new.There are over 40 additional changes and features that I didn’t touch on in this written post, that I walkthrough in the video embedded above.iOS 18.4 should be made available as a public final release sometime next week barring any unforeseen delays.
What’s your favorite new feature in iOS 18.4? Sound off in the comments below. You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day.Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop.
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