If the messages on the iPhone are too confusing or you will be happy to give important messages, iOS 18.4 will help you. At least if you have aOr has new ones.
With the upcoming version, potentially important notifications can be prominently placed on the lock screen and even summarized.
Notice: An iPhone backup is almost essential before installing the iOS 18.4 beta. In the following article, we have summarized how to create an iPhone backup with iCloud, Windows and MacOS:
Please note that compatibility problems with apps can occur in the case of larger version jumps, including important apps such as banking. The use of the iPhone itself can also be affected.
iOS 18.4: prioritize and summarize messages
What is behind this function?Potentially important notifications are displayed in a separate area at the top and clearly visible on the lock screen. This includes, for example, messages from a favorite contact or a call.
With a wiping upwards, all notifications are still displayed. In addition, the "summarize messages" function can be activated in the settings of each app.
This summarizes the content of grouped messages, which should make the presentation clearer. Note: These functions have led to mistakes in the past and have therefore been revised by Apple.
So you activate the functions "prioritize" and "summarize messages":
- Open the settings on the iPhone.
- First activates Apple Intelligence under "Apple Intelligence & Siri". The process can take a few minutes.
- Change back to "Settings" and then to the "Messages" menu.
- Tap under "Apple Intelligence" on "Prioritize Messages" and sets the hook there. The notifications are then prioritized.
- Now move back to the "Messages" menu.
- Now tap on "summarize messages" and set the hook for this option.
- Then select the apps, of which incoming notifications are to be summarized.
When does iOS 18.4 appear?
The update is expected to be available for download in the final version in April 2025. We have summarized the innovations of the large update in a separate article:
Incidentally, the improved Siri is still a long time coming and is not part of iOS 18.4. Apple has postponed the big update for the voice assistant worldwide and will probably only come to the iPhones with iOS 19.
Apple usually holds its developer conference in June. It is very likely that we will then receive new information about Siri and other planned functions.
