Release record
Release notes
Editorial synthesis with inline references and a source ledger when citations are available.
iPadOS 18.4 added Priority Notifications, a Sketch style in Image Playground, and more Apple Intelligence languages and locales on supported iPads. Mail categorization also arrived on iPad, grouping messages into Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions.[1]
Source ledger
Sources are linked to the claims they support. Publication and access dates are shown when available.
Apple Support · 2026-07-29 · iPadOS 18.4 — Apple Intelligence and Mail
Apple Support · 2026-07-29 · iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 security content
Apple Support · 2026-07-29 · iPadOS 18.4 — News+, Photos, and additional enhancements
Apple Support · 2026-07-29 · iPadOS 18.4
Apple Support · 2026-07-29 · Released March 31, 2025
Apple Developer · 2026-07-29
Documented & observed
Source-linked features, fixes, known issues, removals, and community-observed behavior recorded across this version’s appearances and verified builds.
Release changes
Features, fixes, removals, and regressions first observed in this release record.
enhancement · changed
Eight emoji, Safari recent searches, safer child setup, persistent app limits, App Store review summaries and resumable downloads, Podcast widgets, Ambient Music, new system languages, and Matter robot-vacuum support arrived together.
Recorded at Public
enhancement · changed
The release added Sketch as an Image Playground style and expanded Apple Intelligence support across eight more languages and two additional English locales.
Recorded at Public
feature · introduced
Priority Notifications highlighted time-sensitive or important notifications at the top of the list on supported Apple Intelligence-capable iPads.
Recorded at Public
feature · introduced
News+ subscribers gained recipes from participating publishers, searchable and saved recipe collections, and a cooking mode for following individual steps.
Recorded at Public
enhancement · changed
The release added library filters, collection reordering, oldest-or-newest sorting, album sorting by modified date, controls for recent-history collections, and hidden-photo import protection.
Recorded at Public
feature · introduced
The iPad Mail app gained category tabs that grouped messages by broad purpose while preserving access to an all-mail view.
Recorded at Public
Milestones
Every recorded channel appearance in chronological order. Open an appearance for any available build, scope, notes, and sources.
Developer beta
Developer beta
Developer beta
Developer beta
Release candidate
Release candidate
Public release
The public iPadOS 18.4 release expanded Apple Intelligence and added Mail categories, News+, Photos, emoji, family, App Store, media, and smart-home capabilities.
Historical context
Pace, intervals, and duration compared with earlier releases on the same platform.
Historical avg for .4 releases
42 days, 6.3 milestones
Based on 6 previous iPadOS .4 releases
Cycle vs. platform average
38d (avg: 51d)
13 days shorter than the iPadOS average
Duration ranking
#37 of 46
Middle of the pack iPadOS beta cycles
Longest gap in this cycle
10 days
Between Beta 1 and Beta 2
| Version | Year | Cycle | Milestones | Avg. Interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPadOS 26.4 | 2026 | 36d | 7 | 6d |
| iPadOS 17.4 | 2024 | 40d | 7 | 7d |
| iPadOS 16.4 | 2023 | 39d | 6 | 8d |
| iPadOS 15.4 | 2022 | 46d | 7 | 8d |
| iPadOS 14.4 | 2021 | 41d | 4 | 14d |
| iPadOS 13.4 | 2020 | 48d | 7 | 8d |
Scroll horizontally to compare every historical field.