AI-driven Priority Notifications arrive on iPhones with the iOS 18.4 update.

      Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

      Apple has just launched the initial beta version of the iOS 18.4 update. While it doesn’t include many new features, it introduces an interesting new capability called Priority Notifications. When activated, this feature utilizes AI to automatically highlight notifications that are considered important.

      "Priority notifications are displayed at the top, allowing you to quickly see what requires your attention," Apple explains. However, the company has not provided specific details on how the AI determines the significance of notifications.

      It appears that the AI analyzes the content of messages to decide which ones warrant a priority status. I requested my partner to text me a simple "hi" message via SMS using the Messages app, but I did not receive an alert since I had the Reduce Interruptions mode turned on to avoid distractions from app notifications.

      When I asked her to send a text that conveyed a sense of urgency, I promptly received a Priority Notifications alert along with a preview of her message, as shown in the image above.

      During this time, I received several notifications from Gmail and Asana, but none of these triggered a priority alert. I also tried the same method with Gmail, but it did not work.

      It seems that Apple is concentrating more on communication apps and time-sensitive alerts from other applications, such as notifications about incoming package deliveries. We will provide more information as we continue our testing.

      Please bear in mind that this feature debuts with the first developer beta of iOS 18.4 and will need to progress through the public beta phase before it becomes widely available to all iPhone users.

      How to turn on Priority Notifications?

      Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

      To activate this feature, follow these steps:

      1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

      2. Scroll down and select Notifications.

      3. On the following page, look for the option labeled Prioritize Notification. Toggle it on to enable.

      Keep in mind that this is an Apple Intelligence feature, which requires a minimum of 8GB RAM on iPhones. Currently, it is available solely on the iPhone 15 Pro models and the iPhone 16 series. Additionally, Apple Intelligence must be enabled on your compatible iPhone, which you can do by accessing the dedicated Apple Intelligence & Siri section in the Settings app.

      Nadeem is a tech journalist who first became interested in smartphone technology out of curiosity and soon started writing about it…

      iOS 18.4 is coming: everything we know so far

      This week, Apple rolled out the iOS 18.3 update for supported iPhones. Although it may not offer as many features as iOS 18.1 and 18.2, this update introduced several new enhancements, including updated Notification Summaries, improvements to mobile Safari, Calculator app updates, and various bug fixes. With this update behind us, focus will shift to iOS 18.4.

      While the upcoming update has not yet been released in a beta form for developers, we already have some hints about its potential content.

      A more intuitive Siri

      Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman anticipates that iOS 18.4 will predominantly feature an updated version of Siri that is integrated with Apple Intelligence.

      Government seeks answers from Apple regarding iOS 18 performance issues

      Shortly after Apple began the public rollout of iOS 18 — which features the Apple Intelligence stack — numerous reports surfaced highlighting performance slowdowns, camera problems, UI issues, and more.

      Recently, Apple received a formal notice from India’s consumer protection agency concerning the performance issues experienced by iPhone users after installing the update. This situation is distinct from claims of “Apple intentionally slowing down old iPhones,” as the performance issues in iOS 18 have also impacted the latest iPhone models. The notice was issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), which oversees consumer complaints, investigates violations, and issues recall directives.

      iOS 18.3: What to look forward to in the next iPhone update

      Apple has rolled out the iOS 18.3 Release Candidate (RC) to developers and public beta testers. This suggests that the final version will likely be available for users with compatible iPhones on January 27.

      While this update may not introduce as many new features as its predecessors iOS 18.1 and 18.2, there are still several noteworthy elements. Here’s what to expect.

      The most significant new feature

      Once you install iOS 18.3 on your iPhone, you'll quickly notice one of its major upgrades: enhanced Notification Summaries. Originally introduced with iOS 18, this feature aims to streamline the review of incoming messages, news updates, and other notifications using Apple’s technology. However, Notification Summaries have faced considerable criticism for their limitations.