Apple’s iOS 26.4 Beta: What’s New and What to Expect

Apple has released the iOS 26.4 beta for developers and public testers, giving us a first look at the next update for iPhones before the full rollout expected this spring. You can view the official release notes from Apple’s developer site here: Apple iOS 26.4 Beta Release Notes (developer.apple.com)

🆕 What’s in the iOS 26.4 Beta

The iOS 26.4 beta brings a mix of useful improvements and fun features across apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, Messages, security, and more:

📱 AI-Powered Apple Music Playlists

A new “Playlist Playground” lets you generate custom playlists in Apple Music using text prompts such as “workout mix” or “chill evening” — backed by Apple Intelligence.

🎧 Video Podcasts Support

Apple Podcasts now supports video episodes, allowing listeners to watch or switch seamlessly between audio and video for supported content.

🔒 Improved Security

Stolen Device Protection is now enabled by default for added biometric security when accessing sensitive data.

📨 Encrypted RCS Messaging (Testing)

iOS 26.4 beta is testing end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging — a step toward secure cross-platform chats, although full Android support isn’t live yet.

🎶 Music and Media Tweaks

Apple Music gains full-page artwork and new recommendations like Concerts Near You, plus ambient music widgets.

🤳 Camera and Audio Improvements

The Camera app adds Audio Zoom to focus sound on subjects while recording video.

🩺 Health App Updates

Apple Health displays a new Average Bedtime metric and richer health information.

📋 Other Quality-of-Life Upgrades

A new “Urgent” section in Reminders, enhanced Apple Account design, Freeform Creator Studio features, redesigned widgets, and more under-the-hood fixes.