Apple Intelligence, the suite of AI-driven tools and features from the iPhone manufacturer, is receiving a range of new enhancements. Most notably, the company announced on Monday that Apple device users can now utilize Priority Notifications, which enables AI to spotlight the most urgent notifications in a fresh format. Additionally, updates are on the way for the Image Playground app as well as the Mac. Furthermore, Apple Intelligence has been made accessible to iPhone and iPad users within the EU, as well as on the Apple Vision Pro headset for U.S. English speakers.
These updates coincide with the release of the latest Apple software versions: iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4. Apple also highlighted that its AI capabilities are now offered in several new languages, including French, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and simplified Chinese, with localized English versions introduced for Singapore and India. While Apple Intelligence made its debut at last year’s Worldwide Developers Conference as the company’s generative AI initiative, it became clear that Apple wasn’t ready to unveil all its AI-powered features at the same time. This has resulted in a gradual rollout of various AI updates since the launch of iOS 18.1, where Apple Intelligence was first activated. For example, features such as ChatGPT integration and Image Playground were only made available in iOS 18.2 (along with related updates for iPadOS and macOS) several months later.
Among the new features launching on Monday, Priority Notifications could be the most beneficial if effectively rolled out. Instead of having to search through all your notifications—many of which consist of non-essential updates and marketing messages—important notifications will now be easily accessible at the top. Additional improvements to Apple Intelligence include the capability to create a “memory movie” on Mac by simply typing a description and the introduction of a new Sketch style in the AI image-generation app, Image Playground, for producing detailed academic sketches. Apple had previously indicated that its AI suite would launch in the EU in April 2025, a delay attributed to EU technology regulations such as the Digital Markets Act. Meanwhile, Vision Pro users will have access to AI tools such as Writing Tools, Image Playground, and Genmoji following the expansion of Apple Intelligence to the mixed reality platform.
The update also introduces several new emojis, including a paint splatter, a tired face, a fingerprint, a root vegetable, and a shovel, among others. Additionally, the newly announced recipe companion, Apple News+ Food, will also debut on Monday, along with new child safety features and other enhancements to the updated Apple Photos app and various Apple services.
