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When Will Apple Release the iOS 18.4 Beta?

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Apr 12, 2001
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On January 27, Apple released iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3, which means we're now ready for a new round of beta testing. The next betas are rumored to have important new Siri Apple Intelligence features, so when can we expect the software?

Generic-iOS-18.4-Feature.jpg

There are typically few pauses between beta updates, and Apple often seeds a new beta just a day or two after new software comes out. That's not always the case, though, and sometimes we're left waiting for a couple of weeks. With significant features coming in iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4, there's a possibility that there could be a delay before the betas are introduced.

In past years, there have also been some .4 updates with key features, and historical release cycles can give us some insight into when we might see the .4 betas this year.
  • iOS 17.3 release to iOS 17.4 beta - 3 days
  • iOS 16.3 release to iOS 16.4 beta - 24 days
  • iOS 15.3 release to iOS 15.4 beta - 1 day
  • iOS 14.3 release to iOS 14.4 beta - 2 days
  • iOS 13.3 release to iOS 13.4 beta - 57 days
Expected iOS 18.4 Features

Given that we're still waiting on some of the Apple Intelligence features that Apple announced at WWDC in June, and that Apple has already mentioned that some new capabilities will be coming in April, it's not too hard to figure out what could be included in iOS 18.4.

Apple Intelligence

Apple plans to add new functionality to Siri, which should make Siri more capable.

Siri Personal Context
Siri will be able to keep track of your emails, messages, files, photos, and more, learning more about you to help you complete tasks and keep track of what you've been sent.
  • Show me the files Eric sent me last week.
  • Find the email where Eric mentioned ice skating.
  • Find the books that Eric recommended to me.
  • Where's the recipe that Eric sent me?
  • What's my passport number?

Siri Onscreen Awareness
Siri will be able to tell what's on your screen and complete actions involving whatever you're looking at. If someone texts you an address, for example, you can tell Siri to add it to their contact card. Or if you're looking at a photo and want to send it to someone, you can ask Siri to do it for you.

This is separate from the feature where you can have Siri capture a screenshot and send it to ChatGPT.

Deeper App Integration with Siri
Siri will be able to do more in and across apps, performing actions and completing tasks that are just not possible with the personal assistant right now. We don't have a full picture of what Siri will be capable of, but Apple has provided a few examples of what to expect.
  • Moving files from one app to another.
  • Editing a photo and then sending it to someone.
  • Get directions and also sharing the ETA with someone at the same time.
  • Sending an email draft.
More Countries
Apple is planning to expand Apple Intelligence to additional countries, with the feature set to be available in languages that include English (India), English (Singapore), Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Emoji

Apple's .4 updates typically introduce new emoji characters. Right now, we're waiting on the Unicode 16 emoji, which includes face with bags under eyes, fingerprint, leafless tree, root vegetable, harp, shovel, and splatter.

Unicode-16-Emoji-Feature.jpg


Digital Markets Act Changes in EU

iPhone users in the European Union may get the option to change their default navigation and translate apps as Apple is planning to add support for this functionality in spring 2025.

iOS 18.4 Release Date

After a beta testing period that spans through March, Apple will likely release iOS 18.4 in April. Previously, the company said that Apple Intelligence will be available in new languages in an update coming in April 2025, which aligns with the iOS 18.4 testing period and subsequent launch date.

Article Link: When Will Apple Release the iOS 18.4 Beta?
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/01/29/ios-18-4-beta-timing/
The Siri Personal Context example of asking what your passport number is, where would you need to have that info stored for Siri to tell you?
 
A few requests:
- ability to freeze an app
- multiple users
- private space, plus the ability to setup private space in multiple users
- quick tap to enter guest mode
 
Siri is definitely better on my 16 Pro running 18.3 public beta. I can imagine Siri soon becoming a very good experience.

It is good to type "What song is this" and Siri uses Shazam to listen to the song...

Siri can sort of combine images similar to Image Playground. When it can't it offloads the task to ChatGP. Image Playground will be boring if I can't combine anything to make anything...with more options than the cartoon output
 
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MacRumors said:


On January 27, Apple released iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3, which means we're now ready for a new round of beta testing. The next betas are rumored to have important new Siri Apple Intelligence features, so when can we expect the software?

Generic-iOS-18.4-Feature.jpg

There are typically few pauses between beta updates, and Apple often seeds a new beta just a day or two after new software comes out. That's not always the case, though, and sometimes we're left waiting for a couple of weeks. With significant features coming in iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4, there's a possibility that there could be a delay before the betas are introduced.

In past years, there have also been some .4 updates with key features, and historical release cycles can give us some insight into when we might see the .4 betas this year.
  • iOS 17.3 release to iOS 17.4 beta - 3 days
  • iOS 16.3 release to iOS 16.4 beta - 24 days
  • iOS 15.3 release to iOS 15.4 beta - 1 day
  • iOS 14.3 release to iOS 14.4 beta - 2 days
  • iOS 13.3 release to iOS 13.4 beta - 57 days
Expected iOS 18.4 Features

Given that we're still waiting on some of the Apple Intelligence features that Apple announced at WWDC in June, and that Apple has already mentioned that some new capabilities will be coming in April, it's not too hard to figure out what could be included in iOS 18.4.

Apple Intelligence

Apple plans to add new functionality to Siri, which should make Siri more capable.

Siri Personal Context
Siri will be able to keep track of your emails, messages, files, photos, and more, learning more about you to help you complete tasks and keep track of what you've been sent.
  • Show me the files Eric sent me last week.
  • Find the email where Eric mentioned ice skating.
  • Find the books that Eric recommended to me.
  • Where's the recipe that Eric sent me?
  • What's my passport number?

Siri Onscreen Awareness
Siri will be able to tell what's on your screen and complete actions involving whatever you're looking at. If someone texts you an address, for example, you can tell Siri to add it to their contact card. Or if you're looking at a photo and want to send it to someone, you can ask Siri to do it for you.

This is separate from the feature where you can have Siri capture a screenshot and send it to ChatGPT.

Deeper App Integration with Siri
Siri will be able to do more in and across apps, performing actions and completing tasks that are just not possible with the personal assistant right now. We don't have a full picture of what Siri will be capable of, but Apple has provided a few examples of what to expect.
  • Moving files from one app to another.
  • Editing a photo and then sending it to someone.
  • Get directions and also sharing the ETA with someone at the same time.
  • Sending an email draft.
More Countries
Apple is planning to expand Apple Intelligence to additional countries, with the feature set to be available in languages that include English (India), English (Singapore), Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Emoji

Apple's .4 updates typically introduce new emoji characters. Right now, we're waiting on the Unicode 16 emoji, which includes face with bags under eyes, fingerprint, leafless tree, root vegetable, harp, shovel, and splatter.

Unicode-16-Emoji-Feature.jpg


Digital Markets Act Changes in EU

iPhone users in the European Union may get the option to change their default navigation and translate apps as Apple is planning to add support for this functionality in spring 2025.

iOS 18.4 Release Date

After a beta testing period that spans through March, Apple will likely release iOS 18.4 in April. Previously, the company said that Apple Intelligence will be available in new languages in an update coming in April 2025, which aligns with the iOS 18.4 testing period and subsequent launch date.

Article Link: When Will Apple Release the iOS 18.4 Beta?
Click to expand...
No fix for the iPhone 15 Pro Bluetooth issues? Apple Support told me they would be fixed with iOS 18.
 
jessebkr87 said:
The Siri Personal Context example of asking what your passport number is, where would you need to have that info stored for Siri to tell you?
Click to expand...
Probably a travel app. Keep in mind that a big part of the platform now is applications being able to make their content and capabilities available to other apps, AI, and Siri via App Entities and App Intents. So Siri's plan to respond to that would likely start with checking the list of registered apps etc. to see if there was any app that had travel content, and whether there was a capability that she could retrieve traveler information from, and then she'd use that app capability to get it and return it to you.

Eventually, apps will be able to ask AI for that kind of info too, so you could put your info in one place, and it could be available across apps. Or you could ask Siri to "book me a flight to Las Vegas next Tuesday morning" and she'd have all the information she needs already, and be able to actually use airline's apps to find and book the flight. All without the apps actually opening on the device.
 
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Heck yeah bring on the baggy eye and dead tree emoji!

Velin said:
Let me say this. After DeepSeek R1, Apple was really, really, really, really, really smart to not spend billions building a LLM. The bandwagon is very strong on this.
Click to expand...
Yes I think you’re right, building a simple local model with the ability to reach out to a user-chosen larger model could end up being ideal, plus it insulates them from any backlash when they hallucinate
 
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MacRumors said:
Siri Onscreen Awareness
Siri will be able to tell what's on your screen and complete actions involving whatever you're looking at. If someone texts you an address, for example, you can tell Siri to add it to their contact card. Or if you're looking at a photo and want to send it to someone, you can ask Siri to do it for you.

This is separate from the feature where you can have Siri capture a screenshot and send it to ChatGPT.
Click to expand...
Onscreen Awareness is actually implemented at a deeper level than people probably realize. Unlike some other systems or apps where essentially a static picture of the screen is taken and handed off to the LLM engine to figure out what's there, Apple Intelligence Onscreen Awareness is actually plumbed in through the standard Display APIs that applications use to put things on the screen. This means that Siri not only notices that there's a filled in red circle on the screen that sort of looks like a red ball, but actually knows that there's a sphere object named "My Ball" that the app currently in the foreground put there. And, she can interact with that app and do things to the ball object for you.

In the 18.3 Betas, we saw evidence that Siri knew what application was in the foreground too.
 
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johnsawyercjs said:
Eventually in the Wallet app? It's not possible to store passport info there yet, but could be coming.
Click to expand...
Why wallet? People keep photos of their ID’s and passports on their photos app. To quickly use the id numbers when needed. If new siri with 18.4 can’t find and learn from that info, it’s basically useless. Dumb siri we have already can do those things. For example, it knows who is your mom if you linked your mom as your mom on contacts app. So if I have to link something, we cant talk anything about AI.
 
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jimscard said:
Probably a travel app. Keep in mind that a big part of the platform now is applications being able to make their content and capabilities available to other apps, AI, and Siri via App Entities and App Intents. So Siri's plan to respond to that would likely start with checking the list of registered apps etc. to see if there was any app that had travel content, and whether there was a capability that she could retrieve traveler information from, and then she'd use that app capability to get it and return it to you.

Eventually, apps will be able to ask AI for that kind of info too, so you could put your info in one place, and it could be available across apps. Or you could ask Siri to "book me a flight to Las Vegas next Tuesday morning" and she'd have all the information she needs already, and be able to actually use airline's apps to find and book the flight. All without the apps actually opening on the device.
Click to expand...
Perhaps 1Password, with something like a setting on what data is exposed to Siri? Or.. authenticate before providing the data?
 
whelmedjedi said:
Why wallet? People keep photos of their ID’s and passports on their photos app. To quickly use the id numbers when needed. If new siri with 18.4 can’t find and learn from that info, it’s basically useless. Dumb siri we have already can do those things. For example, it knows who is your mom if you linked your mom as your mom on contacts app. So if I have to link something, we cant talk anything about AI.
Click to expand...
The Wallet app would seem like a more logical place (for some people) to store passport information than as a simple photo, regardless of how capable Siri and Apple Intelligence might be or become at extracting information from photos. Wallet can already store things like boarding passes, tickets, etc., and driver's licenses in some US states. The UK has announced plans for a government digital wallet where its citizens can carry digital versions of various documents, including passports. You wouldn't need to take the extra step of linking your passport info in Wallet to Siri, since Siri would know to look there for your passport info once it's stored there. Wallet already lets you create an entry in it for driver's licenses by scanning them, so that you don't have to enter each field manually, so maybe the same will be true for passports so the info can be extracted that way directly.

If you decide you want to continue storing your passport and other documents as photos, you could still do that.
 
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