Apple’s iOS 18.4 for the iPhone 16 series, including the iPhone 16e, as well as the iPhone 15 Pro models, introduced support for new AI features, including Priority Notifications.
This works by showing you potentially important notifications in a separate section on your lock screen, so that you don’t miss what matters most. I’ve been using this feature since the iOS 18.4 update launched earlier this month. All I can say is that I haven’t missed a single important notification since. This makes me feel that it’s undoubtedly one of the most underrated Apple Intelligence features—and certainly the most useful I’ve experienced since the Apple Intelligence suite of features debuted with iOS 18.1 in October last year.
Let me explain in more detail how this feature has helped me with everyday tasks. Read on.
I used to miss calls and important messages, but not since Priority Notifications rolled out
I have a habit of missing calls, and they often get lost in the shuffle because I simply receive a myriad of them (nature of the work, you see). They simply disappear into the flood of hundreds of notifications, and then I forget to return the call. However, with Priority Notifications, missed calls now appear right at the top of all notifications, making me instantly aware of who called and when.
The same goes for important messages. A friend recently returned some borrowed money, and if it weren’t for the priority notification alerting me to the credit in my account, I would have probably missed it and awkwardly called him to ask for the money—even though I needed it to pay a credit card bill. So it not only saved me a phone call but also saved me potential embarrassment, as the friend had already sent the money back.
Priority notifications are highlighted by a glowing animation every time you unlock your phone, instantly drawing your attention, and I like this attention to detail, too.
The best part about priority notifications, I’ve noticed, is the fact that you can customise them. If you don’t want a specific app to deliver notifications, you can disable it by going into your notification settings. This includes all apps installed on your iPhone and is not limited to Apple’s first-party apps.
In addition, I appreciate that Apple Intelligence is clever enough to distinguish between genuinely important notifications and those that aren’t. Not once have I seen a random notification—one I wouldn’t normally open—appear as prioritised.
How to Enable or Disable Priority Notifications
Before you get started, there are a couple of prerequisites. You’ll need an iPhone 16 series model—including the iPhone 16, iPhone 16e, iPhone 16 Plus, or one of the iPhone 16 Pro models. Alternatively, you can use an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, as these are the only iPhones that currently support Apple Intelligence.
Once you’ve confirmed you have one of these iPhones, ensure your device is updated to iOS 18.4, the latest version available.
After updating, head to the Settings app, tap Notifications, and under the Apple Intelligence section, you’ll see Prioritise Notifications sitting above Summarise Notifications. Tap Prioritise Notifications, and you’ll find the toggle to enable it.
Here, you’ll also see a list of all the apps that can deliver prioritised notifications. This includes every app installed on your phone. If there’s an app you’d prefer not to receive priority notifications from, simply uncheck it.
