Apple Releases iOS 18.4: Major AI Upgrades, Security & India-Specific Features
Apple has surprisingly released iOS 18.4 ahead of time. The upgrade is advised as an important one because it offers a number of new features, performance improvements, and security enhancements. This update is further notable in that it broadens Apple Intelligence features, offering benefits to users in India.
Early Rollout and Global Availability
Apple pushed the release of iOS 18.4, which was originally pencilled in for mid April, up to March 31, 2025. Reports from Forbes also state that this would be made due to stability seen in its beta versions and Apple’s trust in the system being ready. All iPhones beginning with iPhone XS along with the recently launched iPhone 15 series are compatible with it. All users are urged by Apple to update their devices as quickly as possible to get the latest system performance and critical security patch.
Major Highlights of iOS 18.4
Across the board, a number of improvements are made in iOS 18.4. Perhaps the most highly anticipated part of the release is ‘Apple Intelligence’, the suite of AI based on device enhancements offered by Apple. Key features include:
- Leveraging Apple Intelligence, Priority Notifications will show the most important notifications that need to be taken care of quickly, visible at the top of the stack of the notification center on the Home Screen.
- Battery Health Management Improvements: These include detailed battery analytics like charging cycles and the recommendation of optimal charging with the aim to increase battery lifespan.
- Crowning these features are Security and Privacy Patch, with a number of vital security fixes for various system vulnerabilities in the kernel and WebKit and overall hand in enhancing the security profile of iOS devices.
- Messages and FaceTime: The Messages app becomes smarter in autocorrecting and displaying media previews, and FaceTime brings gesture recognition for the first time, giving the app more expressive ways to interact.
- Enhancements for Photos app: The Photos app has gotten better filtering options letting users organize and manage their photo libraries in better ways.
India-Specific Features and Localization
Some of the region-specific enhancements for the users in India have been added by iOS 18.4. Apple has also improved its AI products also for Indian languages and dialects, providing better voice recognition in Hindi and support for regional language keyboards. In addition to that, Apple Maps now has more local details and turn-by-turn navigation in some Indian cities. Users can also get localized Siri suggestions for Indian calendars, holidays and local services.
Eligible Devices
Here is a list of devices which iOS 18.4 is available on.
- iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14 series
- iPhone 13 series
- iPhone 12 series
- iPhone 11 series
- iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR
- iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation)
As Apple continues to streamline performance expectations for its newer AI powered features, those newer than the iPhone XS are not eligible for the update.
How to Install
Navigate to Settings > General > Software Update to install iOS 18.4 update. Start the download and installation only once you are sure your device has at least 50 percent battery or it is connected to power and Wi-Fi. The iOS 10 update size is anywhere from 1.5 GB to 2.5 GB, in accordance with the device model and prior iOS version.
Why This Update Matters
iOS 18.4 release demonstrates Apple’s consistent effort to integrate artificial intelligence into users’ experience. This implies that through on device intelligence, Apple is able to keep user private data private and secure so as to adhere to its overall privacy first philosophy. This was Apple’s commitment to providing localised software experiences for Indian users.
Enhanced Apple Intelligence Features
Apple Intelligence gets a huge boost in iOS 18.4 with improvements to help the user experience with even more advanced machine learning and on-device processing. Notable updates include:
- Priority Notifications: Machine learning algorithms are used to identify and highlight the most important notifications above all within the Lock Screen notification centre. Priority Notifications analyzes user interactions and app usage patterns to assure that vital alerts are attended to right away. This feature can be enabled by users in Settings > Notifications > Prioritize Notifications.
- Previously reserved for iPhone 16 series, Visual Intelligence is now available in iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. This is achieved through enabling the devices to use Neural Engine for real time object recognition and context information through the camera interface. Users can access activation by means of the Action Button or through the Control Center to get detailed information about objects, landmarks, and so forth simply by pointing their camera.
- The Image Playground app now comes in two styles ‘Animation’, ‘Illustration’ and a new ‘Sketch’ style to it. Using on-device processing, this addition allows users to transform photos into sketch images fast and with the assurance of privacy, without using cloud services.
Final Word
To wrap up, iOS 18.4 is not a roll of the dice in the usual manner of things – Apple is strategically fixing the world for its AI plans while still making the product more private, faster, and available on a regional basis. Apple’s global iOS roadmap takes a major step forward with the early release, improved intelligence tools and regional enhancements for Indian users.
Rupesh Kadam
Rupesh Kadam is a content writer with 2 years of experience across multiple niches. With expertise in creating engaging, SEO-optimized content, he holds a HubSpot Content Writing certification, ensuring high-quality results tailored to various industries.
