Although it lacked the much-anticipated new Siri features powered by Google Gemini, the initial beta version of iOS 26.4 was still full of new changes. As a result, we introduced more than 40 new updates in our iOS 26.4 Beta 1 guide.
The second iOS 26.4 beta doesn’t include nearly as many changes, but there are still a few new additions and updates to consider. There’s also some interesting stuff under the hood that hasn’t been talked about yet. This includes the upcoming permission prompt redesign, the new NSPredicateValidating protocol, and more information about Apple’s upcoming Studio Display update.
In this latest episode iOS decodedwe’ll explore 10 new features and changes in iOS 26.4 beta 2. Check out the full walkthrough and be sure to subscribe to 9to5Mac for more.
What’s new in iOS 26.4 Beta 2?
In the second developer beta, Apple added a new Podcast splash screen that highlights a new video podcast feature that will offer seamless switching between video and audio and offline video playback.
The update also sees the search bar for the Games app moved to the top of the interface, similar to the change we saw with the App Store in the initial beta.
Video: iOS 26.4 beta 2 changes and features
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Dark mode users will be happy to know that the Control Center context menus now have a dark shade, replacing the bright white interface used previously.
A new shortcut on the Music app profile page allows users to quickly go to Settings → Apps → Music to customize Music app controls.
One of the most interesting changes can be found in Settings → Accessibility → Display and text size. There you will find a new one Reduce highlight effects switch, but we’re still not exactly sure how this will affect the iOS user interface. Some have speculated that this tweaks the spectral enhancement aspects of the Liquid Glass display, but I haven’t noticed any definitive differences. If you know, please leave a comment below.
The SDK also adds a new NSPredicateValidating protocol, presumably a mechanism for validating predicates before they are actually evaluated to prevent the malware exploits that have affected this API in the past.
Finally, the recent round of betas shows even more that the Studio Display update is coming. Apple is working on two new displays, and they seem to be a fairly significant change from the outgoing Studio Display. But here’s the interesting thing: between the two new models we see, the only significant difference we can identify is the audio amplifier module. One of the displays will contain a larger module, which means larger, more powerful speakers and therefore a larger display. It could mean a 27-inch Studio Display and a 32-inch Studio Display, or something along those lines.
These displays will also include touch functionality. This could mean that the displays themselves are touch-sensitive, or that they will have capacitive touch buttons. The displays will also include support for a subsystem that controls a secure indicator light for camera/microphone use.
9to5Mac’s Take
While it’s true that iOS 26.4 beta 2 doesn’t include any major new features for users, as we’ve shown, there are some notable changes under the hood and a few other updates that point to iOS improvements to come. What do you think of the second iOS 26.4 developer beta? Sound off with your thoughts.
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