Apple Intelligence: Upcoming iOS 18 Updates and Features

Apple continues to enhance its software ecosystem, with iOS 18.1 and iOS 18.2 introducing major Apple Intelligence features such as Image Playground, Genmoji, and Writing Tools. However, more advancements are expected in 2025, showcasing additional capabilities designed to improve the user experience.

Priority Notifications

A new Priority Notifications system is expected to debut in an upcoming iOS 18 update. Unlike standard notification summaries, Priority Notifications will allow users to filter important alerts to the top of the notification stack, ensuring critical information is easily accessible.

Expanded Siri Functionality

Siri’s evolution is set to include personal context, onscreen awareness, and deeper app integration. With personal context, Siri will analyze device content such as text messages, emails, and files, enabling a more comprehensive search experience. Onscreen awareness will allow Siri to recognize the user’s current screen activity, such as viewing a photo, and take contextual actions through simple voice commands. Additionally, Siri will support more seamless multitasking within and between apps, offering functionality akin to Shortcuts but with real-time command execution. These changes will operate on-device, maintaining Apple’s commitment to user privacy.

Genmoji and Memory Movies for macOS

While Genmoji debuted on iPhone and iPad with iOS 18.2, it has yet to reach macOS. Apple plans to include this feature in the macOS Sequoia 15.3 update, expected in January 2025. Similarly, the Memory Movies feature, which creates customizable photo and video slideshows based on text descriptions, will also be extended to macOS in a future update.

Broader Language and Regional Support

Apple Intelligence will expand its language support in 2025, covering Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. This expansion will bring the functionality to more users worldwide, fostering accessibility and inclusivity.

Timeline for New Features

Beyond Genmoji’s macOS arrival, current beta testing of iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3 indicates these updates will launch in late January 2025. Subsequent updates, such as iOS 18.4, are anticipated for release in April 2025 following a couple of months of beta testing.

These developments reflect Apple’s commitment to enhancing user experience across its devices, ensuring its ecosystem remains at the forefront of innovation.