The second developer beta of iOS 18.4 brings Visual Intelligence to the iPhone 15 Pro, and introduces an Apple Vision Pro app along with new Emoji characters.
On Monday, Apple released iOS 18.4 developer beta 2 with the build number 22E5216h, replacing the previous 22E5200s. The software release comes a week after the first developer beta, which reportedly caused boot loop issues on older devices.
Monday’s software update has seemingly resolved this problem, as the second developer beta is now available for all of the previously affected devices, including the iPhone 12 and iPad 8, as well as the fourth-generation and M2 models of the iPad Air.
In terms of overall compatibility, iOS 18.4 developer beta 2 is available for devices as old as the iPhone XR and iPhone XS, all the way up to the iPhone 16e, which was only announced on February 19.
The iOS 18.4 update was initially rumored to contain improvements for Siri, but it appears as though the planned upgrades for Apple’s virtual assistant have been delayed until May 2025. Instead, the software update includes some useful enhancements for Apple Intelligence and its associated features, among other changes.
Visual Intelligence on iPhone 15 Pro
The most notable change in Monday’s developer beta has to do with Visual Intelligence. While the feature itself was previously exclusive to the iPhone 16 range, as it was toggled through the Camera Control button, Apple has decided to expand its availability to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
This means that owners of these devices will be able to activate Visual Intelligence by pressing the Action button. The feature can also be toggled on the iPhone 16e in the same way, but there’s now a third way of activating the feature.
The second developer beta of iOS 18.4 introduces a dedicated Control Center section for select Apple Intelligence features — Type to Siri, Talk to Siri, and Visual Intelligence. Visual Intelligence can now be toggled from the Control Center, the iOS Lock Screen, and via the Action button or Camera Control.
Another Apple Intelligence feature, known as Priority Notifications, received a minor update. With iOS 18.4 developer beta 2, it’s now possible to adjust priority notification settings for individual applications. Monday’s developer beta also features changes that are available across all compatible devices, even those without Apple Intelligence support.
New Emoji and additional options for App Store downloads
The second developer beta of iOS 18.4 introduces new Unicode Emoji characters, including root vegetable, face with bags under eyes, shovel, harp, splatter, leafless tree, and fingerprint. The Sark flag is now also available, while the Syrian flag Emoji has been updated to reflect the current de facto flag of the country.
These characters were first spotted in the release post for Unicode 16 back in May of 2024, so their appearance in iOS 18.4 comes as no surprise. Apple’s operating systems periodically introduce new Unicode characters, including Emoji.
Another change included with iOS 18.4 has to do with App Store downloads. When downloading an App Store app on iOS 18.4 beta 2, users will see a new “Pause” button, that lets users stop and resume app installations and updates.
The new Apple Vision Pro app is here
Apple’s previously-announced Apple Vision Pro app has finally arrived as well. The application offers instructions and lets users access essential information about their headset, such as the serial number.
Content recommendations are also available via a carefully curated list of titles and immersive experiences.Within the app, a dedicated “Discover” section highlights the different apps, immersive videos, and games available for the Apple Vision Pro.
According to Apple, there are over 300 3D movies available for the headset. Additional videos can be found via the Apple TV app on visionOS, and users even have the option to upload their videos.
Content from the Spatial Gallery app, introduced with the corresponding visionOS 2.4 developer beta, can also be viewed. This includes spatial videos and photos, which are now conveniently in one place.
The iPhone app lets users toggle a new Guest Mode, which makes it possible to test the headset without going through the entire setup process.
Changes to Shortcuts, updates to EV routing in Apple Maps
The second developer beta of iOS 18.4 includes additional actions for the Shortcuts app. Though the new shortcuts themselves aren’t particularly impressive, an upgraded Siri may be able to take advantage of them in the near future.
At WWDC 2024, Apple explained that Siri would be able to perform various in-app actions through a new App Intents system. Monday’s developer beta features shortcuts that enable just that — changing settings within individual apps.
Among others, the Shortcuts app now has additional Safari actions, which can be used to block pop-ups, close tabs, open links, and much so on.
iOS 18.4 developer beta 2 also suggests that a CarPlay-related update for EV route planning is in the works. Specifically, the code within the operating system mentions a charging adapter for the Tesla NACS connector. The messages “You need to use a charging adapter on this route” and “Tesla NACS Adapter Required” were found in the software files.
While not yet implemented, iOS will be able to remind owners of select EVs that they need an adapter to use Tesla charging stations along their route in Apple Maps. This will prove useful to owners of more recent Ford models, among others.
Minor changes in iOS 18.4 developer beta 2
Separately, the second developer beta of iOS 18.4 has seemingly enabled the RCS protocol for users of the Orange network in France, according to website Numerama and others. The rollout of RCS messaging support on iPhone is an on-going process. While many US carriers introduced support months ago, others in the world have yet to do so.
Apple has also made a minor change to the Apple Wallet app, which now has a menu icon in the top right of the app. The ellipsis icon lets users access in-app settings and lets them manage their orders, subscriptions and payments.
Apple Vision Pro language support, and a new Spatial Gallery app
While the second developer beta of iOS 18.4 introduced an Apple Vision Pro app for the iPhone, the headset itself received support for two additional languages — Spanish and Italian. There’s also a new Spatial Gallery application with the corresponding visionOS 2.4 developer beta.
The Spatial Gallery app contains the user’s spatial photos, videos, and panoramic shots, all nearly in one place. There’s more, however, as Apple says the Spatial Gallery app offers content of varying genres, including culture, entertainment, lifestyle, nature, sports, and travel, which comes from artists, filmmakers, and different brands.
Content from photographers Jonpaul Douglass and Samba Diop is available, along with “stories and experiences from brands such as Cirque du Soleil, Red Bull, and Porsche.” The Spatial Gallery app also contains behind-the-scenes footage from AppleTV+ shows the likes of Disclaimer, Severance, and Shrinking.
The first developer beta of visionOS 2.4 introduced support for Apple Intelligence on the headset, meaning that owners of the headset now finally have access to Apple’s AI features. This includes features such as Writing Tools, Image Playground, Genmoji, and more. macOS Sequoia 15.4 and iPadOS 18.4, meanwhile, bring Apple’s email categorization feature to the Mac and iPad, respectively.
The visionOS 2.4 and iOS 18.4 betas are still early in the release cycle. Apple plans to release the updates to the general public in April 2025. It remains to be seen whether an updated Siri will roll out with iOS 18.4 in a future developer beta, or if we’ll have to wait until iOS 18.5.
Find any changes in the new builds? Reach out to us on Twitter/X at @AppleInsider or @MarkozNewz, or send Marko an email at marko@AppleInsider.com.
