iOS 26.4: 13 New iPhone Features Announced by Apple
▼ Summary
– Apple has released the iOS 26.4 RC build, which includes 13 enhancements and is expected to launch publicly next week.
– Key Apple Music updates include a beta Playlist Playground feature, a Concerts discovery tool, and an offline song recognition capability.
– Accessibility improvements feature new settings to reduce bright flashes and screen motion, plus easier subtitle customization.
– Other enhancements include 8 new emoji, advanced tools for Freeform, urgent reminders, and a Family Sharing payment option.
– The update also paves the way for iOS 26.5, which will introduce the first Gemini-powered Siri and Apple Intelligence features.
Apple’s latest software update, iOS 26.4, is poised for a public release next week, bringing a suite of thirteen new features and refinements to iPhones. This release candidate build signals the final stage of testing before the official rollout, with the subsequent iOS 26.5 beta expected to introduce the highly anticipated Gemini-powered Siri and Apple Intelligence capabilities. The detailed release notes confirm a focus on enriching Apple Music, expanding accessibility, and adding practical tools across the system.
The update delivers several notable additions to Apple Music. A new Playlist Playground feature, currently in beta, allows users to generate a custom playlist simply by typing a description. It automatically creates a title, description, and tracklist. The Concerts feature helps you discover nearby shows from artists in your library and can recommend new performers based on your listening habits. For moments without connectivity, Offline Music Recognize in Control Center can identify songs and deliver the results automatically once you’re back online. Users can also add an Ambient Music widget for Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing playlists directly to the Home Screen, and enjoy more immersive, full-screen backgrounds on album and playlist pages.
Accessibility receives meaningful improvements in this update. A new Reduce Bright Effects setting helps minimize bright flashes that occur when tapping on interactive elements like buttons. Subtitle and caption settings are now more conveniently accessible directly from the captions icon while watching media, making them easier to find, customize, and preview. Furthermore, the Reduce Motion setting now works more reliably to minimize the animations of the Liquid Glass interface for users who are sensitive to screen motion.
Beyond music and accessibility, iOS 26.4 includes a variety of other enhancements. The emoji keyboard is expanding with eight new characters, including an orca, a trombone, a landslide, a ballet dancer, and a distorted face. The Freeform app gains advanced image creation and editing tools alongside a premium content library, officially joining the Apple Creator Studio ecosystem. For Reminders, users can now mark tasks as urgent directly from the Quick Toolbar or by using a touch-and-hold gesture, and then filter their Smart Lists to show only urgent items. Family Sharing groups gain more flexibility with Purchase Sharing, allowing adult members to use their own payment methods for purchases instead of relying solely on the family organizer. Finally, Apple has also implemented improved keyboard accuracy for those who type at a rapid pace.
(Source: 9to5Mac)
