Apple Priority Notifications & EU Expansion of Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence Receives Significant Updates and Expansion

Apple Intelligence, the collection of AI-driven tools developed by the iPhone manufacturer, is undergoing a period of enhancement. A key announcement made on Monday reveals the introduction of Priority Notifications, a feature leveraging Apple’s AI to emphasize time-critical alerts with a revised presentation.

New Features and Availability

Further updates are being implemented within the Image Playground application and across Mac devices. Importantly, Apple Intelligence is now accessible to iPhone and iPad users located in the European Union, as well as on the Apple Vision Pro headset utilizing U.S. English.

These changes are being deployed concurrently with the release of Apple’s latest software versions: iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4.

Expanded Language Support

Apple has broadened the availability of its AI functionalities to encompass a wider range of languages. These include French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese. Additionally, localized English versions have been added for both Singapore and India.

A Phased Rollout

Although initially unveiled at last year’s Worldwide Developers Conference as Apple’s new generative AI offering, the complete release of all Apple Intelligence features was not immediately feasible. This has resulted in a gradual and ongoing deployment of AI enhancements since the initial launch with iOS 18.1.

For example, integrations with ChatGPT, the Image Playground, and other functionalities were not available until iOS 18.2 (and corresponding iPadOS and macOS versions) several months later.

Priority Notifications: A Focus on Important Alerts

Among the new features released on Monday, Priority Notifications stand out as potentially the most impactful. This system aims to eliminate the need to sift through numerous notifications – often including unimportant updates and promotional messages – by bringing the most crucial alerts to the forefront.

Additional Improvements

Further enhancements to Apple Intelligence include the ability to generate a “memory movie” on Mac simply by providing a textual description. Moreover, a new Sketch style has been added to the Image Playground app, facilitating the creation of detailed and academic sketches.

EU Availability and Regulatory Considerations

Apple had previously indicated that its AI suite would become available in the EU in April 2025. This delay was attributed to EU technology regulations, such as the Digital Markets Act.

Vision Pro Integration

Users of the Vision Pro headset will now have access to AI features including Writing Tools, Image Playground, Genmoji, and other functionalities with the expansion of Apple Intelligence to this mixed reality platform.

New Emojis and Services

The update also introduces a selection of new emojis, such as a paint splatter, a face depicting fatigue, a fingerprint, a root vegetable, and a shovel. The recently announced Apple News+ Food recipe companion is also launching on Monday, alongside enhanced child safety features and refinements to the redesigned Apple Photos app and other Apple services.