iOS 26.4 beta 1 is now available in developer beta. The update includes a lot of new features and changes for iPhone users. There are new changes to Music, News, Apple Podcasts and more. Below is a full rundown of all the new features in iOS 26.4 beta 1.
Updated February 17, 2026: Now available for public beta testers as well.
iOS 26.4 beta details
iOS 26.4 is now available for developer beta testers. The build number for the update is 23E5207q. Developers can update by going to the Settings app, selecting General, then Software Update. The public beta will likely be released within the next few weeks.
What’s new in iOS 26.4 beta 1?
News
Apple added support for testing encrypted RCS messages with iOS 26.4 beta 1. Currently, this is only supported for iPhone-to-iPhone communication for RCS testing purposes.
Read more: iOS 26.4 beta adds support for testing end-to-end encrypted RCS messages
Apple Podcasts
iOS 26.4 upgrades the Apple Podcasts app with new “advanced video podcast capabilities.” This update makes it easier to switch between watching a video podcast and listening to an audio podcast. Features are based on Apple’s HLS technology, which allows for automatic quality adjustments based on network conditions.
Apple is also adding support for dynamic video ads in Apple Podcasts with iOS 26.4.
Read more: The Apple Podcasts app is getting an “enhanced video podcast experience” in iOS 26.4
Apple Music
Apple has made several upgrades to the Apple Music app as part of iOS 26.4. When viewing selected albums and playlists, you’ll now see new full-screen graphics that “bring your music to life.”
The update also adds support for finding concerts near you and artist tour dates in your Apple Music library.
The “Profile” section of the Music app has also been redesigned with easier access to common tasks. This redesigned “Profile” interface is also seen in the App Store, Apple Podcasts and Apple TV.
Read more: Apple Music in iOS 26.4 has a new design for albums, playlists and more
Playground Playground
iOS 26.4 also adds a new Apple Intelligence feature to the Music app. Playlist Playground lets you create playlists based on text descriptions or pre-selected prompts.
Read more: iOS 26.4 beta adds a new artificial intelligence feature “Playlist Playground” for Apple Music
Wallpaper gallery
iOS 26.4 introduces a redesigned wallpaper gallery that further separates the different categories of options available. The interface is also much cleaner than before and more responsive to input. Apple introduced a similar design to the Apple Watch face gallery.
Read more: iOS 26.4 overhauls the wallpaper gallery
A reminder
In the Reminders app, iOS 26.4 adds a new smart list for tasks you’ve marked as “urgent.” This builds on the new Urgent setting that Apple added to Reminders as part of iOS 26.2 last year. When you mark a task as urgent, Reminders sets an alarm to remind you.
New home screen widget
iOS 26.4 adds a new Home widget that gives you quick access to ambient music playlists in Apple Music.
Protection of stolen devices
According to MacRumorsStolen device protection is now enabled by default in iOS 26.4. When this feature is enabled, the protection of stolen devices requires biometric authentication when you are away from trusted locations such as home and work. It also includes a time delay for the second biometric verification for certain sensitive actions.
Prior to iOS 26.4, iPhone users had to enable anti-theft manually.
App Store
In the App Store, the search bar has been moved back to the top of the search tab. The search tab is also now integrated into the navigation bar at the bottom instead of being separated in its own floating circle.
Other changes
Wrap
We’ll continue to update this story as we discover more new features in iOS 26.4. If you come across anything new, let us know down in the comments.
My Favorite iPhone Accessories:
Watch Chance: Threads, Bluesky, Instagram and Mastodon.
FTC: We use automatic income earning affiliate links. More.
