New in iOS 26.4 beta 1: Videos in podcasts, RCS encrypted texts

The first developer beta of iOS 26.4 is here, offering a new video experience for Apple Podcasts, support for testing end-to-end encrypted RCS messages, and much more.

On Monday, less than a week after iOS 26.3 was released to the general public, Apple began the iOS 26.4 beta testing cycle. The iPhone software update has build number 23E5207q, up from 23D127 in the iOS 26.3 public release.

iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 as a whole brought a whole host of changes, the most visible of which is Apple’s controversial “Liquid Glass” design language. The next update, iOS 26.1, included new toggles for existing system features and additional customization options for Liquid Glass.

iOS 26.2 brought an alternative app marketplace and new side button settings to iPhone users in Japan, while iOS 26.3 made porting from iOS to Android much easier.

Monday’s developer beta version of iOS 26.4 brings a few significant changes. The first is the addition of video playback capabilities to Apple Podcasts. Apple Messages, meanwhile, now supports testing end-to-end encrypted RCS messages, though for now only from one iPhone to another.

The Apple Music app has also received several visual improvements, along with a new option for concerts and more.

Apple Music in iOS 26.4 — Concerts near you and Playlist Playground

The first iOS 26.4 developer beta includes a new splash screen for the Apple Music app that details the major changes Apple has introduced.

One of the most significant new features within Apple Music on iOS 26.4 is Concerts near you ability. As the name suggests, this feature allows users to find shows in their area along with tour dates displayed right in the Apple Music app.

Another particularly impressive upgrade is the Playlist Playground feature, currently marked as beta. It can be accessed from the Library page by tapping the playlist icon at the top right of the screen.

From there, users can enter a text prompt that causes Apple Music to create a playlist of 25 songs. Alternatively, it is also possible to use the provided New playlist ideas call. Those who are not satisfied with the playlists generated through Playlist Playground can edit them afterwards.

Apple Music and the App Store now have a redesigned Apple Account view, giving users quick access to settings and subscriptions. However, it is specific to Apple Music Music profile an option that allows users to select a name and photo to display when listening to music with another person.

Playlists and albums now have a new full-screen look, with the playlist using a background color that matches the artwork of the corresponding album. It’s a nice change, but nothing groundbreaking. Apple has also included a new Home Screen widget for ambient music playlists in Apple Music.

Monday’s iOS 26.4 developer beta also includes an important upgrade to another audio-centric app, Apple Podcasts.

iOS 26.4 offers a new video experience for Apple Podcasts

Apple Podcasts has undergone a major change that could attract more users to the app. With iOS 26.4 beta 1, users can now select and view video episodes in Apple Podcasts.

It’s fairly easy to switch between listening and watching, and users can even download episodes for offline playback.

Apple has implemented native video playback using HTTP Live Streaming, also known as HLS. While the move brings video content to Podcasts users, it also has something for creators and advertisers.

Apple Podcast changes in iOS 26.4 make adaptive streaming easier and allow dynamic video ads to be inserted directly into the Apple Music app, offering podcast creators more revenue potential.

While podcasts got an undoubtedly meaningful upgrade, it’s not the only app Apple upgraded on Monday.

iOS 26.4 lets you test end-to-end encrypted RCS messages with a catch

The first iOS 26.4 developer beta lets you send and receive end-to-end encrypted RCS messages, albeit with a big caveat. At the time of writing, RCS messaging with end-to-end encryption only works between iPhones, meaning there is no Android compatibility yet.

Apple announced plans for encrypted RCS messages as early as March 2025, and code related to this feature was even spotted in the second iOS 26.3 beta in January 2026. While it might seem like we’re getting end-to-end encrypted RCS messages with iOS 26.4, unfortunately that’s not the case.

Apple has confirmed that this feature will not be made available as part of the iOS 26.4 update. Instead, end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS will be introduced “in a future iOS 26 software update”. However, it remains to be seen exactly which version of iOS 26 will include this capability.

For beta testers, meanwhile, it looks like end-to-end RCS encryption is enabled by default. Users using Monday’s iOS 26.4 developer beta can opt out of this feature in the Settings app.

Other changes in iOS 26.4 — Activation of anti-theft enabled automatically

The first iOS 26.4 developer beta changes the way existing iOS security features work. To be more specific, Stolen Device Protection, introduced in 2023, is now automatically enabled whenever a device is updated to iOS 26.4.

The feature itself was intended as an additional layer of protection to be triggered in the unlikely event that an iPhone is stolen and the thief knows the owner’s password.

Apple’s goal is to prevent the complete loss of your Apple Account if your iPhone and its passcode are stolen. The changes in the first iOS 26.4 developer beta serve as a means to further protect iOS device users.

Monday’s iOS 26.4 developer beta also includes new localization files for the Indian variant of English. Some of the related files appear to be related to Apple Pay among others.

The macOS 26.4 developer beta also brings the Charge Limit slider to Mac. This feature was previously only available for iPhone and iPad.

Visual and other changes in iOS 26.4 beta 1

In terms of visual changes, Apple has also updated the wallpaper settings in iOS 26.4. When selecting a new wallpaper through the iOS Settings app, users are now greeted with a new wallpaper gallery.

Additionally, it looks like selected wallpapers are now downloaded from the server instead of all being available on the device right from the start.

Meanwhile, the Reminders app has been updated with a new Smart List view for tasks marked as “Urgent”. This ultimately serves as an update to the “Urgent Reminders” feature found in the public release of iOS 26.2.

With the first developer beta version of iOS 26.4, Freeform has gained new features that require a subscription to Apple Creator Studio. This includes artificial intelligence features that allow image editing and generation along with various graphics and illustrations.

Apple has also added a new option related to iCloud. In the Settings app under iCloud users will see a new one iCloud.com settings. This is basically a new name for Access iCloud data on the web settings that were previously available.

It is also available Enable search an option that allows trusted Apple devices to provide search results on iCloud.com.

iPadOS 26.4 beta 1 and macOS Tahoe 26.4 beta 1

Separately, the first iPadOS 26.4 developer beta includes a minor change to Safari. Specifically, iPad users can now once again use the compact tab bar option, which was not available in previous versions of iPadOS 26. It can be activated by opening the Settings app and going to Safari section.

Meanwhile, for Mac users, macOS Tahoe 26.4 contains a warning related to the end of support for Rosetta 2. Since macOS Tahoe is the last version of macOS to support Macs with Intel processors, Apple has decided to completely end support for Rosetta 2 after the macOS 27 update.

This means that selected apps will stop working once Rosetta 2 support ends and users will be notified of the change. Meanwhile, the key Apple Intelligence feature is still not available in macOS 26.4 or iOS 26.4.

Improved Siri still nowhere in iOS 26.4

However, the upgraded context-aware version of Siri is notably missing from the first iOS 26.4 developer beta. Originally shown at WWDC 2024 with iOS 18 and later delayed, the improved virtual assistant was rumored to be released as part of the iOS 26.4 update.

However, a February 2026 report indicated that internal testing was not going well and that the new and improved Siri would debut with iOS 26.5 instead. Shortly after, Apple released a brief and somewhat vague statement saying that the promised features were still “on track to launch in 2026”.

While it’s not entirely clear whether the feature set was planned to launch with iOS 26.4 and then delayed again, Monday’s developer beta doesn’t appear to include any improvements to Siri or Apple Intelligence.

In any case, the iOS 26.4 update looks like it will bring enough improvements on its own. The new video playback option in Apple Podcasts is a welcome change, as is the update to Apple Music.