Apple has released the first developer beta of iOS 26.4, giving an early preview of many of the updates coming to iPhones later this spring. Currently limited to developers, a public beta is expected to roll out soon, with the official update likely arriving in the coming months.
New Apple Music Features
The update introduces Playlist Playground, a new Apple Music tool that lets users create playlists using simple text prompts — such as “chill morning mix” — and automatically generates a 25‑song playlist with a suggested title. Apple Music also gains a new “Concerts Near You” section to highlight tour dates based on listening habits, alongside redesigned album and playlist pages featuring full‑page artwork.
Podcasts App Gets Video Support
The Podcasts app receives a major upgrade with support for video podcasts, allowing users to watch or listen seamlessly and download episodes for offline viewing. This enhancement aims to provide creators with more flexibility and improves the discovery experience.
Enhanced Security and Messaging
iOS 26.4 enables Stolen Device Protection by default, requiring Face ID or Touch ID for access to sensitive functions like the Passwords app and Find My. Apple is also testing end‑to‑end encryption for RCS messaging, a significant step toward more secure cross‑platform texting. For now, encrypted RCS is limited to iPhone‑to‑iPhone messaging in this beta.
UI and Widget Updates
Other enhancements include:
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A redesigned Apple Account hub that unifies account settings across apps like the App Store and Apple Music.
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A new Ambient Music widget for the Home and Lock Screen to play built‑in soundscapes.
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An updated Wallpaper Gallery with categories such as Weather, Astronomy, and Emoji.
Additional Improvements
iOS 26.4 also adds Urgent reminders in the Reminders app, a refreshed iCloud settings layout with iCloud.com options, and expanded Freeform Creator Studio tools for subscribers, including AI‑powered image editing.
While no new emojis are active in this beta, code references suggest that new characters — like trombone, orca, and landslide — may arrive in future builds.