iOS 18.4 Upgrade: 3 Key Features That Transformed My iPhone Experience

Apple's latest update, iOS 18.4, has just hit the scene, bringing a slew of exciting new features to iPhone users. It's like a treasure hunt, with everyone still uncovering the full extent of what's new. From enhancements in Apple Intelligence to tweaks in the Control Center and App Store, this update is a big deal. While it's tough to dive into every single change, I'll walk you through the most significant updates and how to set them up.

By the way, if you're itching to try iOS 18.4, head over to your iPhone's Settings, go to General, and then tap on Software Update. Just make sure your phone is up to the task—iOS 18 is supported on models like the iPhone 13 Pro and newer. And a heads up: those fancy Apple Intelligence features are exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the upcoming iPhone 16 series. Older models won't get to play with those.

1. New Apple Intelligence features

One of the standout additions in iOS 18.4 is Priority Notifications. Thanks to Apple Intelligence, your iPhone now smartly displays what it thinks are your most crucial notifications right on your Lock Screen. You can swipe up to see the rest, or customize it to your liking. Want to prioritize texts and Amazon alerts? No problem. Just go to Settings, tap on Notifications, then Prioritize Notifications, and toggle the apps you want to stay on top of.

And there's more good news for iPhone 15 users: Visual Intelligence, previously a perk for the iPhone 16 series, is now rolling out to eligible iPhone 15 models. You can activate it from the Control Center or through the Action button if you've set it up correctly. As ZDNET contributor Lance Whitney puts it, "Head to Settings and select the option for the Action Button." From there, you can choose Visual Intelligence and you're good to go.

2. Ambient Music

With iOS 18.4, Apple's introduced a new Ambient Sound category in the Control Center. These playlists are designed to soundtrack your daily life, with instrumental tracks divided into four categories: Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing. Whether you're looking to focus at work or unwind at night, there's a playlist for that. You can add them all to your Control Center or just pick your favorites. Swipe down on your iPhone to open the Control Center, tap the Plus icon, select "Add a Control," and then choose Ambient Music. From there, you can install the playlists you want and start listening with a tap.

3. New options in Photos app

The Photos app has gotten some love with new organizational tools. The Library section now includes two new filters: "Shared With You" and "Not in an Album." The former shows images synced from your Mac or PC, while the latter displays photos not yet sorted into albums. These filters are automatically added to the Photos app, so no need to activate them.

You can also now hide the Recently Viewed and Recently Shared albums if they clutter your view. Just go to Settings, find Photos, scroll to Show Recently Viewed & Shared, and toggle off the albums you don't want to see.

And for those who like to keep things tidy, you can now reorder items in the Media Types and Utilities collections. Just hit the Edit button at the top of the screen and rearrange to your heart's content.

These are just a few of the highlights from iOS 18.4. There's so much more to explore, like the new Vision Pro app for headset owners, a Cooking mode in Apple News+, and control for Matter-compatible robot vacuums in the Home app. To get the full scoop, check out Apple's patch notes on their support website.