Apple has just released iPadOS 18.4, bringing several exciting updates to iPad users everywhere. The update includes important enhancements to the Mail app, which now organizes incoming emails into different categories for easier management. iPadOS 18.4 introduces Apple Intelligence features along with Mail tweaks that make your iPad experience smarter and more efficient.
The new update also includes ambient music features and priority notifications to help you stay focused on what matters most. These improvements build on Apple’s ongoing commitment to making the iPad a powerful productivity tool. Users will find that managing notifications and enjoying media have become more intuitive with this release.
What’s New in iPadOS 18.4
With the release of iPadOS 18.4, Apple continues to refine its tablet software, bringing a host of updates that enhance usability, improve performance, and add exciting new features. Whether you’re an iPad pro user or just someone who enjoys casual browsing and streaming, there’s a lot to love about this latest update. Let’s break down the key features and changes that make iPadOS 18.4 stand out.
Priority Notifications: Never Miss an Important Alert
One of the standout features in iPadOS 18.4 is the introduction of Priority Notifications. This new feature allows critical notifications to rise to the top of your stack, making sure you never miss important alerts. Whether it’s a message from a close friend, an important calendar event, or a system update, these notifications will now have priority, ensuring they grab your attention even in a sea of less important messages. It’s a subtle yet incredibly useful addition, especially for those who juggle multiple tasks on their iPad daily.
Apple Intelligence Gets Smarter
Apple’s AI-powered Apple Intelligence takes a significant leap forward with iPadOS 18.4. The update expands its capabilities by supporting more languages and localizing its features for different regions. You’ll now find that Apple Intelligence can understand and process more languages, including regional dialects for countries like India and Singapore. This makes the AI even more accessible, enabling it to deliver smarter notifications, predictive suggestions, and more accurate search results in your native language. It’s an upgrade that aims to make iPadOS feel more personal, intuitive, and truly global.
Mail App Enhancements: Organize Like Never Before
Apple’s Mail app also gets a much-needed makeover in iPadOS 18.4. One of the most notable improvements is the ability to categorize your inbox into Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions, much like Gmail’s inbox organization system. This helps reduce clutter and ensures that you can focus on what matters most. The new categories make it easier to keep your inbox tidy and manage important emails, while less relevant ones are neatly filed away.
The app also now includes AI-generated summaries of email threads, which can be incredibly handy when you need to catch up on long email conversations. Gone are the days of sifting through pages of messages to get the gist of a thread. Instead, Apple’s AI will provide a concise summary so you can quickly grasp the key points without missing any important details.
The Sketch Style: Creative Expression Redefined
If you’re a fan of using your iPad for creative tasks, iPadOS 18.4 introduces a new Sketch Style in the Image Playground. This style gives your images a hand-drawn, sketch-like effect, adding a fun new way to express your creativity. Whether you’re working on a personal project or just experimenting, this new feature offers even more ways to enhance your artwork. Along with the Animation and Illustration styles already available, the addition of the Sketch style gives users more creative freedom to play with different aesthetics.
New Emoji: More Ways to Express Yourself
Apple continues to push the envelope with emoji in iPadOS 18.4, introducing seven brand-new symbols. These include a fingerprint, a splatter, a shovel, and a face with bags under their eyes, among others. These additions reflect the growing demand for diverse and expressive symbols in everyday communication. For iPadOS users who love to personalize their messages with unique icons, these new emoji are a welcome change and offer even more ways to capture the perfect mood or sentiment.
AirPods Max Lossless Audio Support
Audiophiles will be thrilled with the latest improvement for AirPods Max users. iPadOS 18.4 adds lossless audio support for the USB-C variant of these high-end headphones. Now, when you connect your AirPods Max directly to your iPad, you’ll experience superior sound quality that’s closer to the original recording. Whether you’re listening to music, podcasts, or movies, the new support for lossless audio enhances the listening experience, making it even more immersive.
Apple News+ Goes Deeper with Food Content
For food lovers, iPadOS 18.4 offers a tasty update to Apple News+. The platform now includes a dedicated Food section, featuring a curated selection of recipes, cooking tips, and restaurant news. Whether you’re looking for new meal ideas or simply want to stay up-to-date on the latest food trends, this update ensures that Apple News+ becomes even more valuable to those who are passionate about food culture. The cooking mode feature, which offers step-by-step recipe instructions, is a particularly handy tool for anyone who loves to cook but needs a little guidance along the way.
Control Center Gets an Ambient Music Overhaul
In iPadOS 18.4, Control Center adds a fresh new way to set the mood. The update introduces a selection of ambient music playlists, curated to fit different moods like chill, productivity, sleep, and wellbeing. These playlists are designed to help you focus, relax, or wind down after a long day. If you’re looking for a more calming atmosphere while working, studying, or simply unwinding, this new addition will certainly elevate your experience.
More Features to Explore
In addition to these headline changes, iPadOS 18.4 also brings performance improvements and bug fixes that enhance the overall stability and smoothness of the system. Apple continues to focus on refining the iPad experience, making the software more fluid, reliable, and responsive.
With all these updates, iPadOS 18.4 truly elevates the iPad experience to new heights. Whether it’s better email organization, enhanced creative tools, smarter AI, or the addition of highly anticipated features like lossless audio support, Apple has packed this release with valuable enhancements that make the iPad even more powerful and user-friendly. If you haven’t yet updated to iPadOS 18.4, now’s the time to experience all that this release has to offer.
Key Takeaways
- iPadOS 18.4 adds smart categorization in Mail and Apple Intelligence capabilities to enhance productivity.
- New priority notification settings help users focus on important alerts while filtering less urgent ones.
- The update introduces ambient music features that improve the entertainment experience on iPad.
Core Updates and Enhancements
iPadOS 18.4 brings significant improvements to daily iPad use with redesigned controls, smarter AI features, and stronger security measures. These updates make your iPad more intuitive and secure while adding new functionality.
Redesigned Control Center and Notifications
The Control Center in iPadOS 18.4 has been completely overhauled with a more intuitive layout. Users can now customize it with more toggles and shortcuts than ever before. The new grid system lets you arrange controls exactly how you want them.
Priority Notifications have been introduced as a standout feature. This system automatically identifies important alerts and displays them prominently, reducing notification fatigue. You can manually set which apps get priority status in Settings.
The notification grouping has also been improved. Related notifications now bundle together more intelligently, making it easier to process updates from the same app or conversation.
Apple added new notification actions that let you respond without opening apps. Quick replies for messages and email approvals can be handled directly from the notification itself.
Advanced Siri and Search Capabilities
Siri has received notable upgrades in iPadOS 18.4, though not the complete overhaul some users expected. The assistant responds faster and understands more complex commands.
Voice recognition has improved significantly, especially in noisy environments. Siri can now distinguish your voice even when others are talking nearby.
Users can finally set default apps for various functions. Want Chrome as your default browser? Now you can set it directly in Settings without workarounds.
The search function has been enhanced with more accurate results. It now indexes content within supported apps, making it easier to find specific information in notes, emails, and documents.
New Siri shortcuts have been added for common iPad tasks. Simple voice commands can now trigger complex actions like starting a video call or sending a pre-composed email.
Enhanced Privacy and Security
iPadOS 18.4 introduces 15 critical security fixes that protect sensitive data. These patches address vulnerabilities across multiple system components.
The Privacy Dashboard has been expanded to show more detailed information about which apps access your data. It now displays historical access patterns and lets you revoke permissions more easily.
Face ID has received technical improvements that make it both faster and more secure. The system now works better with masks and in low-light conditions.
A new Security Recommendations feature actively alerts you about weak passwords and suggests stronger alternatives. It integrates with iCloud Keychain to make password management simpler.
App privacy indicators now show when an app is using your camera or microphone in the background. A small dot appears in the status bar, making it impossible to miss unauthorized access.
Integration with Apple Ecosystem
iPadOS 18.4 strengthens how your iPad works with other Apple devices and services. The update brings new ways for your iPad to connect with Mac, Apple Watch, and smart home devices, while also adding health and fitness improvements.
Continuity with macOS Sequoia 15.4 and WatchOS
The new iPadOS update improves how your iPad works with Mac computers running macOS Sequoia 15.4. You can now start tasks on your iPad and finish them on your Mac more smoothly than before. The Universal Clipboard feature has been enhanced to support larger file transfers up to 2GB.
Files now sync faster between devices with improved iCloud Drive performance. When working across devices, notifications sync instantly so you won’t miss important alerts.
The connection with Apple Watch has been strengthened too. Your iPad can now display workout stats from your watch in real-time. This works especially well during home workouts when you place your iPad in front of you.
A new Device Switching menu in Control Center lets you quickly move between controlling your Apple TV, HomePod, and other Apple devices without opening separate apps.
HomeKit Enhancements and Matter Compatibility
The Home app in iPadOS 18.4 gets a fresh design with easier navigation and faster access to your most-used controls. Smart home devices now respond quicker to commands from your iPad.
The update adds full support for Matter-compatible devices, including:
- Smart lights
- Door locks
- Thermostats
- Robot vacuums
- Security cameras
Your iPad now works better as a home hub, with improved reliability when controlling devices remotely. The new Quick Actions feature lets you set up common tasks like “Movie Night” or “Good Morning” that control multiple devices at once.
For robot vacuum owners, there’s a new mapping feature that shows cleaning progress right in the Home app. You can mark no-go zones directly on your iPad screen.
Apple Fitness+ and Health Updates
Apple Fitness+ gets major improvements in iPadOS 18.4. Workouts now adjust better to different screen sizes, showing more information on larger iPads without feeling cramped.
New Fitness+ Collections group workouts by themes like “30-Day Core Challenge” or “Meditation for Beginners.” These collections make it easier to find related exercises.
The workout preview screen now shows:
- Calories typically burned
- Muscles targeted
- Required equipment
- Difficulty level
For Apple Health users, iPadOS 18.4 introduces better data visualization. Charts and graphs are clearer and more detailed. The Health app can now show trends over longer periods—up to one year.
Sleep tracking data syncs seamlessly between your Apple Watch and iPad, with more detailed analysis of your sleep patterns displayed on the larger screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
iPadOS 18.4 brings several key updates to Apple’s tablet operating system. These improvements touch on multitasking capabilities, security features, device compatibility, Apple Pencil functionality, enterprise tools, and accessibility options.
What enhancements have been introduced to multitasking in iPadOS 18.4?
iPadOS 18.4 improves the multitasking experience with refined Split View and Slide Over features. Users can now switch between apps more smoothly with an updated app switcher interface.
The update also adds a new “Recent Apps” bar that appears when entering multitasking mode. This makes it easier to grab frequently used apps without returning to the home screen.
Task management gets better with enhanced keyboard shortcuts for multitasking actions. iPad Pro and iPad Air users will notice performance improvements when running multiple resource-intensive apps simultaneously.
Can you detail the security improvements made in the latest iPadOS update?
iPadOS 18.4 strengthens security with expanded data protection options and improved privacy controls. The update patches several vulnerabilities that could affect system integrity.
The Privacy Dashboard has been redesigned to show more detailed app activity information. Users can now see exactly when and how often apps access sensitive data like location, camera, or microphone.
Apple has also added new anti-phishing tools to Safari that warn users about suspicious websites. Password management gets better with enhanced autofill security and breach monitoring alerts.
Which iPad models are compatible with the iPadOS 18.4 update?
iPadOS 18.4 works with iPad models from 2018 and newer. This includes iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (6th generation and later), and iPad mini (5th generation and later).
Some advanced features like Image Playground and Genmoji require newer models with more processing power. These typically need an A12 Bionic chip or newer to function properly.
The update requires about 3GB of free storage space for installation. Users with older iPad models may notice slightly different performance compared to newer devices.
What improvements have been made to the Apple Pencil functionality in the latest iPadOS?
iPadOS 18.4 enhances Apple Pencil integration with improved palm rejection technology. Writers and artists will appreciate the more natural feel when using the pencil on screen.
The Notes app now features enhanced handwriting recognition that works faster and more accurately. Users can search through handwritten notes more efficiently with improved text conversion capabilities.
New drawing tools have been added to markup functions across the system. The update also reduces latency for Apple Pencil (2nd generation and newer) users, making the drawing experience feel more responsive.
How does iPadOS 18.4 enhance user experience for enterprise or educational users?
iPadOS 18.4 adds new mobile device management (MDM) options for IT administrators. Organizations can now deploy custom apps and settings more efficiently across multiple devices.
The updated Mail app with categorization helps business users organize work communications more effectively. Emails are automatically sorted into different sections based on their content and importance.
Educational institutions benefit from improved Classroom app features. Teachers can now share content with student iPads more easily and monitor student progress with enhanced tracking tools.
Are there any significant changes to accessibility features in iPadOS 18.4?
iPadOS 18.4 expands voice control capabilities with more precise navigation options. Users can control their iPad more effectively using just their voice.
The update improves screen reader functionality with more natural sounding voices and better web navigation. VoiceOver users will notice more detailed descriptions of images and interface elements.
Magnifier app improvements help those with vision impairments see text and objects more clearly. New hearing aid compatibility features make audio clearer for users with hearing aids connected to their iPads.
