In this latest episode of iOS Decoded, 9to5Mac investigates everything new in iOS 18.4, including several new behind-the-scenes features that you may be hearing about for the first time. Included in our walkthrough is a full hands-on look at the new proximity setup feature for Mac, Prioritize notifications, the new Ambient Music feature, and much, much more. Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for additional iOS 18.4 coverage.
Here’s a list of five of the most interesting features that we discovered in the 18.4 beta. For a full look at all 50 features, be sure to watch the video embedded above.
Ambient Music
Apple is incorporating a new ambient music feature starting with iOS 18.4. The feature, which is accessible via Control Center, provides users with four different ambient music styles – Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing.
Each ambient music style corresponds to a specific playlist that adheres to that style. For example, the Chill style features playlist options that include Piano Chill, Ambient Chill, Lo-Fi Jazz, and Pure Chill. Users can customize these playlists when editing the toggle in Control Center.
If none of the canned playlists suit your preferences, there is also an option to add a playlist from your own Apple Music library. And since these are Control Center toggles, they can be accessed from other places, such as from the Lock Screen, or via the iPhone’s Action Button.
The UI for Ambient Music is very much like a pared down take on the Music app. It presents a simple now-playing screen with play/pause, skip, volume controls, and AirPlay controls. Users are unable to view details on the artist, album, song, or anything else that would normally be accessible via the Music app. It’s clear that Apple intended Ambient Music to be a simple one-click option to start playing back a specific style with ease.
Proximity setup for Mac
If you’re running the macOS 15.4 beta alongside the iOS 18.4 beta, you’ll find a new proximity setup option when setting up your Mac from scratch. This feature works just like the current proximity setup does for a new iPhone or iPad.
Apple News+ food recipes
The new Apple News+ Food section brings food stories, recipes and videos to the News app for News+ subscribers. The feature, available for both iOS and iPadOS looks best on the bigger iPad screen, especially the step-by-step recipe instructions with integrated timers.
However, what’s most interesting about this new feature is the fact that it clearly has bigger ambitions. While digging through beta code, 9to5Mac located new details that indicate that the Food+Recipes feature might be headed to Apple’s upcoming HomePad smart home device. It honestly seems like a killer app for a home-focused device that might live on a kitchen counter.
New Photos filters
The Photos app received a few new features in iOS 18.4, but one of the most useful new additions is the ability to filter photos based on ‘Shared With You’ status. This feature lets you to quickly see all of the photos in your library that were sent to you by friends and family.
New SIL animation and brightness
The Secure Indicator Light (SIL), the security feature that lets users know when critical components such as cameras or microphones are in use, gets a new animation in iOS 18.4. When the Dynamic Island is in use by a Live Activity, the SIL moves outside of the Dynamic Island surrounded by a virtual black bezel. The SIL also utilizes the OLED screen to appear brighter in an effort to better mimic an actual LED light.
9to5Mac’s Take
Although it was once expected that iOS 18.4 would debut the new Siri features associated with Apple Intelligence, those updates were delayed. But even still, iOS 18.4 is jam-packed with new features and changes, and this list of five is just the tip of the iceberg. Be sure to watch the full walkthrough for a full rundown on everything new.
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