Apple has rolled out the iOS 18.4 Beta 1 update for iPhone, introducing several new features, including enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence—the company’s AI suite. One of the most notable additions is the long-awaited Priority Notifications feature, which Apple initially previewed at WWDC 2024 but had yet to release. This feature intelligently analyzes incoming notifications and highlights the most important ones in a dedicated section on the iPhone’s lock screen. Alongside this, the update also introduces a refreshed experience in Apple’s Image Playground and a new Ambient Music option.
The Priority Notifications feature leverages on-device AI processing to evaluate the relevance of notifications while maintaining user privacy. When enabled, it filters notifications and displays only the most critical ones at a glance. Users can still access all notifications by swiping up on the lock screen. Apple emphasizes that this AI-powered feature is designed to enhance efficiency without compromising data security, as all processing occurs locally on the device rather than on Apple’s servers.
To enable Priority Notifications, users need to navigate to Settings > Notifications > Prioritise Notifications since the feature is turned off by default. Another notable addition in the iOS 18.4 Beta 1 update is the new Ambient Music option in the Control Centre. This feature plays a randomly selected mix of background sounds categorized into four themes: Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing. However, users do not have control over the specific tracks being played. They can, however, see what’s currently playing and use the Dynamic Island music player to skip tracks if desired.
In addition to these key updates, iOS 18.4 Beta 1 is expected to include general bug fixes, security improvements, and performance enhancements. With Apple continuing to refine its AI-driven features, future updates could expand customization options for Priority Notifications and Ambient Music. As the beta testing phase progresses, Apple is likely to tweak and optimize these features before the official iOS 18.4 release in the coming weeks.