Skip to main content

iOS 18.4 is coming: everything we know so far

An Apple iPhone showing Siri's interface.
Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends

This week, Apple rolled out the iOS 18.3 update for supported iPhones. While it may not be as feature-rich as iOS 18.1 and iOS 18.2, this update introduced several new features, including updated Notification Summaries, mobile Safari enhancements, Calculator app improvements, and various bug fixes. With this update behind us, attention will soon turn to iOS 18.4.

Although this upcoming update has not yet been released in beta form for developers, we already have some insights into what it may include.

Recommended Videos

A more aware Siri

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman expects iOS 18.4 to focus almost exclusively on a refreshed version of Siri that’s part of Apple Intelligence.

Wasn’t Siri already updated with Apple Intelligence? Yes, it was, but a more significant update is set to arrive in the coming months. This version of Siri will be able to understand and remember your preferences, past interactions, and information stored on your device to provide more personalized and relevant responses. For example, Siri will recognize your favorite contacts or sports team or which app you use the most.

According to Gurman, the often criticized digital assistant will soon be able to access a user’s data and view what is currently displayed on their phone screen. This capability will provide context that should enhance the assistant’s query responses. Additionally, it will include upgraded App Intents software, allowing for more precise voice control over the operating system.

Pulling up Siri on lock screen of iPhone.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

Siri is also expected to gain the ability to interact more deeply with apps, enabling users to perform actions within those apps using voice commands. This could include tasks such as sending messages, creating reminders, or editing photos, all without the need to open the app manually.

The upcoming version of iOS 18 is expected to enhance Apple Intelligence by adding support for several new languages. Specifically, the update will likely include Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Updated emojis

Apple usually introduces new emojis with its spring iOS updates, and iOS 18.4 is expected to follow this trend. The Unicode Consortium has already approved a new emoji set for 2025, which might include items such as a fingerprint, a face with bags under the eyes, a harp, and more.

Other potential features

Like any iOS update, iOS 18.4 is expected to bring various bug fixes and performance enhancements that improve your device’s overall stability and speed. Additionally, the iOS 18.4 update is likely to include new security patches.

Who gets iOS 18.4?

A long list of iPhone models will receive iOS 18.4. Supported devices include every phone in the iPhone 11 to iPhone 16 series plus the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone SE (2nd generation), and iPhone SE (3rd generation).

A limited number of iPhones support Apple Intelligence. This includes the iPhone 16 series, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

When will iOS 18.4 arrive?

Developers should get the first taste of iOS 18.4 in the coming days, followed quickly by Apple’s public beta testers. The public is likely to see iOS 18.4 released in April or May.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Former Mobile and A/V Freelancer
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
5 rumored iOS 26 features we could see at WWDC 2025
An iPhone 16 laying on a shelf with its screen on.

Apple’s upcoming WWDC 2025 showcase is going to be a busy one, even though the expected AI-powered software rebirth may not land until next year. In the meantime, reliable sources have spilled the beans on what we might expect for the next major iOS overhaul. 

Starting with the name, Apple could skip iOS 19 and could go straight from v18 to v26. We are also expecting a design overhaul, something that could draw inspiration from Vision OS. On the functional side, an AI health coach would be a huge draw for fitness enthusiasts. 

Read more
iOS 19 isn’t coming this fall … because Apple is calling it something else
The back of the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Apple will unveil the latest version of the iPhone operating system at WWDC next month, but apparently it won’t be “iOS 19.”

The tech giant is going to shake up the naming system for iOS, with the next version set to be called iOS 26, according to a Bloomberg report by prominent Apple tipster Mark Gurman on Wednesday.

Read more
5 lost iOS features I want to see return in iOS 19
Siri being shown on an iPhone 15 Pro on iOS 18.

In the second week of June, Apple will likely give the world a glimpse of its jazzed-up operating systems at WWDC 2025, and a major redesign is expected for iOS 19. Though I’ve always yearned for a return to the skeuomorphism look, we are hearing that Apple is eying a unified aesthetic language that is more reminiscent of Vision OS running on its uber-expensive headset.

A lot of eyes and ears will hunt for AI-related announcements, especially in the wake of Apple Intelligence flubs and delays. On the more practical side of things, an AI fitness coach might land this year with the iOS 19 update. But after going through all the hype and rumors, I hope Apple brings back the following features that it abandoned years ago, but with a modern makeover: 

Read more