iOS 18.4 Beta 2: What’s New and Improved in the Latest Developer Release

Apple has released iOS 18.4 Beta 2 to registered developers, continuing the refinement process for the upcoming iOS 18.4 update. This release builds upon the features introduced in Beta 1, adding new functionalities and addressing known issues. Let’s dive into everything new in iOS 18.4 Beta 2.

Release Overview

iOS 18.4 Beta 2 arrives less than two weeks after the initial developer release. The update weighs in at 1.34 GB on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The build number is 22E5216H, indicating that we are still a few betas away from the final release.

Key New Features and Changes

  • Visual Intelligence on iPhone 15 Pro: Visual Intelligence has officially launched on iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. It can be invoked using the action button.
  • Apple Intelligence in Siri Control Center: A dedicated “Apple Intelligence in Siri” section has been added to the Control Center, allowing you to add shortcut commands for talking to Siri, typing to Siri, or launching Visual Intelligence.
  • Priority Notifications Settings: The prioritized notifications feature now has a new menu section inside of settings, allowing you to toggle it on or off on an app-by-app basis.
  • 7 New Emoji: Seven new emojis have been added: a face with bags under the eyes, a fingerprint, a splatter, a harp, a shovel, a leafless tree, and a root vegetable.
  • App Store Change: The “Stop” button has been replaced with a “Pause” button during app downloads, and a “Resume” button has been added.
  • Change to Mail: The mail application has a new explainer for the mail category.
  • Photos Callout: The photos application has a new callout that says “find a specific moment” and points to the search option.
  • AVP app: The Apple Vision Pro companion application is now available.

Key Bug Fixes and Improvements

  • A resolved issue for notifications where scrolling through notifications might cause them to flicker or collapse momentarily.
  • A resolved issue for Apple intelligence where sometimes features would be unavailable until you rebooted your device.

Known Issues

  • Wi-Fi calling might still not work for some US Cellular customers on 18.4 as a whole.
  • There’s still that known issue with writing tools.
  • There are also these two known issues for Apple intelligence as well if you’re using a language other than English US.

Performance and Battery Life

Performance on iOS 18.4 Beta 2 feels fine so far. Battery life seems to be good as well.

What to Expect Next

iOS 18.4 Beta 3 could be out as soon as next week.

Conclusion

iOS 18.4 Beta 2 brings several new features, improvements, and bug fixes, making it a significant update for iPhone users.