Apple has launched iOS 18.4 Beta 1 for developers, which marks the beginning of one of the most important updates to the iOS ecosystem this year. The big news in this version is the arrival of Apple Intelligence in Spanish, which enables numerous advanced artificial intelligence features on compatible devices. But in addition to this important improvement, there are many other interesting changes.
What's new in Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.4
Apple Intelligence Languages
In addition to Spanish (and English), Apple Intelligence is available in the following languages:
- French
- German
- Italian
- Portuguese (Brazil)
- Japanese
- Korean
- Chino (simplificado)
Priority notifications
iOS 18.4 Beta 1 introduces a new Apple Intelligence feature that displays important notifications at the top of the notification stack on the Lock screen.
Image Playground Update
iOS 18.4 Beta 1 adds a new Drawing style to Image Playground for Apple Intelligence image generation. Previously, only Animation and Illustration styles were available.
Genmoji Button
The Genmoji button on the keyboard now features a “Genmoji” label along with an introduction to the feature upon first use.
Missing Apple Intelligence Features
To iOS 18.4 Beta 1 There are some Apple Intelligence features missing that were expected in this update and will likely arrive in iOS 18.5. Missing features from Apple Intelligence include a smarter Siri that can recognize on-screen content and perform relevant actions, or the ability to perform app-specific actions such as deleting specific emails, moving notes between folders, sharing links via email, opening documents, or summarizing articles.
Apple News+ Food
Apple News+ subscribers (available in the US) who update to iOS 18.4 Beta can now access the new Food section in the Up Next tab. This section features tens of thousands of recipes, healthy eating tips, and plenty of advice from leading industry experts.
Ambiental music
iOS 18.4 Beta 1 adds four new ambient music shortcuts to Control Center: Sleep, Relax, Productivity, and Wellbeing. When enabled, iPhone will play random ambient sounds based on the selected category.
Redesigned Mail app on iPad
The redesigned Mail app with email categorization has finally arrived on iPad and Mac.
Default applications
iOS 18.4 Beta 1 also adds the ability to change the default Translate app for all users. In the European Union, you can even change the default navigation app, for example, switching from Apple Maps to Google Maps or any other navigation app you've downloaded.
To change the default app, you need to go to the Settings → Apps → Default Apps menu.
Privacy Points of Reference
The orange or green dot that normally appears in the status bar to indicate microphone or camera use now has a black background underneath for better visibility.
Mobile data in Control Center
The mobile data icon in Control Center now shows real-time signal strength.
Guest User on Apple Vision Pro
With visionOS 2.4 Beta and iOS 18.4 Beta, Vision Pro users can now start a guest user session using a nearby iPhone or iPad. When a guest puts on the Vision Pro, a window appears on the owner’s iPhone that allows them to choose which apps the guest can access.