iOS 18.4 will drop an Apple Intelligence extravaganza on iPhones in the coming weeks.
Apple has a lot to prove after its last update fell flat due to its lack of AI smarts. Add to that a recent dip in iPhone sales despite the launch of the latest iPhone 16 range (and with it Apple Intelligence), and the pressure is truly on the tech giant to deliver this time round.
For its part, Apple is talking up iOS 18.4, with chief executive, Tim Cook, announcing that its AI will support more languages soon (more on that below). But we’re more pumped for Siri's AI upgrade and a fresh batch of emojis that are sure to spice up messages.
Here’s what you need to know about iOS 18.4, including the update’s rumoured release date and new features.
iOS 18.4 features: iPhone AI updates and emojis revealed
Siri keeps getting a little smarter with almost every iOS 18 update. The digital helper previously received a new design that features an eye-catching animation that lights up the sides of your iPhone. Thanks to ChatGPT integration, it can also complete more tasks than ever – and you can type to it.
Siri
With iOS 18.4, Siri is expected to get its biggest update yet. Soon, Siri will be able to understand and interact with content on your device’s screen.
On-screen awareness
For instance, if a friend texts you their new address, you can ask Siri to add it to their contact card and it will update their details automatically. The digital assistant can already recognise what’s on your screen with the help of ChatGPT, but Apple claims that this feature is different.
Communicating with more apps
Siri will also gain the ability to talk to hundreds more apps, enabling it to complete individual actions and those that require multiple steps. Apple claims Siri will be able to surface articles from the Safari reading list or send pics from a certain location to someone, like photos from a weekend party at your mate’s house.
Best of all, it will save you time by completing several chained tasks at once, such as editing a photo and sending it to someone with just one command.
Personal context
More broadly, Siri will be able to keep tabs on your emails, messages, photos and more. So, when you inevitably forget when that parcel is arriving or the name of that podcast you read about, Siri will dig it up.
Together, the enhancements suggest Siri is evolving into a much more personalised assistant. Suddenly, the Samsung S25’s tailor-made AI features don’t seem so unique after all.
New emojis
Almost a year after they were unveiled by the Unicode Consortium, Apple is expected to add support for the latest emojis in iOS 18.4.
Seven icons are in the pipeline, including a “face with bags under eyes” that describes just how weary the user is feeling. There is also a fingerprint, leafless tree, root vegetable, harp, shovel and splatter.
When is iOS 18.4 coming out?
It looks like April will be when iOS 18.4 magically arrives on iPhones. That’s the month Apple boss Tim Cook mentioned in the company’s latest earnings call on Thursday, when he revealed additional language support for Apple Intelligence.
The AI will soon be available in French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and simplified Chinese, along with localised English versions for India and Singapore.
There’s still no word on when Apple Intelligence will come to the EU and China, where its release has been hampered by regulatory hurdles.
When exactly in April will iOS 18.4 land? Apple usually launches major software updates on Mondays or Tuesdays. And, based on previous iOS 18 releases, we would expect it to drop between early to mid April (possibly around April 7-15).
How to download iOS 18.4 early
Before then, Apple will let testers preview the upcoming software so they can flag any bugs before its official release.
In fact, it could drop the iOS 18.4 developer beta as soon as Friday January 31 (or over the weekend) with a public beta following shortly after. Thankfully, Apple makes it super-easy to get hold of these beta versions of its upcoming software, in case you want to try it early.
Just head over to the Apple website and log in using an Apple ID. The iOS 18 beta is then selected through the iPhone itself, within Settings > General > Software Update.
Once signed up for the beta programme, the option to install beta software should appear here. Just make sure to choose the “dev” option if you want it straight away – and be prepared to encounter glitches.
Thankfully, if you don’t like it you can switch back to the old version at any time.
