MacOS Sequoia 15.4 Update Released with Mail Categorization, New Emoji
MacOS Sequoia 15.4 has been released for Mac users running the Sequoia operating system. The software update includes some new features and refinements, as well as resolutions to various bugs and security patches.
For new features, MacOS Sequoia 15.4 gains the Mail Categorization feature that automatically sorts your email inbox for you that has been somewhat controversial on iPhone since it debuted, along with new Emoji icons. You’ll also find the typical array of bug fixes and security patches in this particular software update for Mac.
Aside from Sequoia, if your Mac is running macOS Sonoma or MacOS Ventura you will find updates available for those macOS versions as well.
Additionally, iPhone and iPad users will find iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 available as updates to download and install, along with updates for watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS.
How to Download & Install MacOS Sequoia 15.4 Update
Don’t forget to backup the Mac with Time Machine or your preferred backup method before beginning the process of installing any system software update.
- Go to the Apple menu and then go to “System Settings”
- Choose “General” and then select “Software Update”
- Choose to “Update Now” when you see “macOS Sequoia 15.4” available to download
The Mac must restart to finish installation. Remember, it can take a while to install macOS system software updates, though for most users the updates go fairly quickly especially if they have a speedy internet connection.
For Mac users running macOS Sonoma or MacOS Ventura, you will find those updates available separately.
Direct Download macOS Sequoia 15.4 Installer & IPSW File
You can download the package installer for MacOS Sequoia 15.4 or the IPSW file directly from Apple using the links below. These can be useful for building bootable installers, updating multiple Macs, and setting up virtual machine environments, amongst other reasons.
Direct Download for macOS Sonoma 14.7.5 & macOS Ventura 13.7.5
MacOS Sequoia 15.4 Release Notes
Release notes for MacOS Sequoia 15.4 are as follows:
This update introduces the ability to create Memory movies in Photos with Apple Intelligence, a new Sketch Style option in Image Playground, Mail Categorization, and enhancements to better organize and filter your library in Photos. This release also includes other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your Mac.
Apple Intelligence (Mac with M1 and later)
• Memory movies can be created by describing the story you want to see in Photos
• Sketch is now available as a style option in Image Playground, so you can create gorgeous drawings
• Apple Intelligence features support 8 additional languages and 2 additional English locales, including English (India, Singapore), French (France, Canada), German (Germany), Italian (Italy), Japanese (Japan), Korean (South Korea), Portuguese (Brazil), Simplified Chinese, and Spanish (Spain, Latin America, US)
• Mail Categorization sorts your messages to help you prioritize the most important messages
Photos
• New filter to show or hide items not contained in an album in the Library view
• Retouch brush is included in the Clean Up tool
• Reorder items in the Media Types and Utilities collections
• Consistent filtering options in all collections, including the ability to sort by oldest or newest first
• Option to sort albums by Date Modified
• Disable “Recently Viewed” and “Recently Shared” collections from the View menuThis update also includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:
• 8 new emoji including objects, plants, and a smiley face are now available in the emoji keyboard
• New widgets for Podcasts including a Followed Shows widget to track your favorite shows and a Library widget to get to your most used sections, such as Latest Episodes, Saved, and Downloaded
• Matter-compatible robot vacuum cleaners can be controlled in the Home app as well as be added to scenes and automations
• Resolves an issue where certain external displays might not be able to turn off Night Shift
• Increases the default maximum memory allocation limit available to the GPU on Mac Studio (2025) with M3 Ultra with 256GB or 512GB of unified memory
• Improves transcoding performance in Final Cut Pro on Mac Studio (2025) with M3 Ultra
• Screen Time App Limits persist even after a child uninstalls and reinstalls an app
• Fixes an issue where VoiceOver navigates elements in incorrect order in Music
• Addresses an issue where a Braille display may show an incorrect line when navigating lines with left or right arrowsSome features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices.
For detailed information about the security content of this update, please visit: https://support.apple.com/100100
While you’re installing updates to your Mac, don’t forget to update your other Macs (if applicable), as well as your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro.
