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 messaging, and much more.
On Monday, less than a week after iOS 26.3 made its way to the general public, Apple started the iOS 26.4 beta testing cycle. The iPhone software update has the build number 23E5207q, up from 23D127 on the public release of iOS 26.3.
As a whole, iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 introduced a variety of changes, the most visible of which is Apple's controversial "Liquid Glass" design language. The following update, iOS 26.1, included new toggles for existing system features and additional customization options for Liquid Glass.
iOS 26.2 brought alternative app marketplaces and new Side button settings to iPhone users in Japan, while iOS 26.3 made transferring from iOS to Android much easier.
Monday's iOS 26.4 developer beta brings a few significant changes. The first of them is the addition of video playback capabilities to Apple Podcasts. Apple Messages, meanwhile, now supports testing end-to-end encrypted RCS messages, albeit only from one iPhone to another for the time being.
The Apple Music app got a few visual enhancements as well, along with a new option for concerts, and more.
Apple Music in iOS 26.4 — Concerts Near You & Playlist Playground
The first developer beta of iOS 26.4 includes a new splash screen for the Apple Music app, which details the major changes Apple introduced.
iOS 26.4 beta 1 adds new features to the Apple Music app.
One of the most significant new features within Apple Music on iOS 26.4 is the Concerts Near You capability. As its name implies, the feature lets users find shows in their area, along with tour dates displayed right within the Apple Music app.
Another particularly impressive upgrade is the Playlist Playground feature, currently labeled as a beta. It can be accessed from the Library page by tapping the playlist icon in the top right section of the screen.
From here, users can input a text-based prompt, which will make Apple Music create a playlist containing 25 songs. Alternatively, it's also possible to use the provided New Playlist Ideas prompts. Those unsatisfied with the playlists generated via Playlist Playground can edit them after the fact.
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iOS 26.4 beta 1 has a new Music Profile section.
Apple Music and the App Store now have a modified Apple Account view, giving users access to settings and subscriptions at a glance. Specific to Apple Music, however, is the Music Profile option, which lets users select a name and photo that appears when listening to music with another person.
Playlists and albums, meanwhile, now have a new full-screen look, with the track list using a background color that matches the artwork of the corresponding album. It's a neat 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 primarily audio-related app, Apple Podcasts.
iOS 26.4 offers a new video experience for Apple Podcasts
Apple Podcasts received a major change, one that might make the app appeal to a greater number of users. With iOS 26.4 beta 1, users are now able to select and view video episodes inside Apple Podcasts.
Video episodes are now available in Apple Podcasts on iOS 26.4 beta 1.
It's possible to switch between listening and viewing with relative ease, and users can even download episodes for offline playback.
Apple has implemented native video playback with the use of HTTP Live Streaming, also known as HLS. While the move brings video content to users of the Podcasts app, there's also something in it for creators and advertisers.
The Apple Podcast changes in iOS 26.4 facilitate adaptive streaming and allow for dynamic video ad insertion directly into the Apple Music app, offering greater revenue potential for podcast creators.
While Podcasts received an undoubtedly meaningful enhancement, it's not the only application Apple upgraded on Monday.
iOS 26.4 lets you test end-to-end encrypted RCS messages, with a catch
The first developer beta of iOS 26.4 makes it possible to send and receive end-to-end encrypted RCS messages, albeit with a major caveat. At the time of writing, end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging only works between iPhones, meaning there's no Android compatibility just yet.
iOS 26.4 lets users test end-to-end encrypted RCS messages, albeit only from iPhone-to-iPhone.
Apple announced plans for encrypted RCS messages back in March 2025, and code related to the feature was even spotted in the second iOS 26.3 beta back in January 2026. While it might look like we're getting end-to-end encrypted RCS messages with iOS 26.4, that's unfortunately not the case.
Apple has confirmed the feature will not be made available as part of the iOS 26.4 update. Instead, end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS will roll out "in a future iOS 26 software update." It remains to be seen exactly which version of iOS 26 will include the capability, though.
For beta testers, meanwhile, it looks as though end-to-end RCS encryption is enabled by default. Users running Monday's iOS 26.4 developer beta can opt out of the feature by heading to the Settings app.
Other changes in iOS 26.4 — Stolen Device Protection activation automatically enabled
The first developer beta of iOS 26.4 changes the way an existing iOS security feature functions. To be more specific, the Stolen Device Protection capability, introduced in 2023, is now automatically enabled whenever a device is updated to iOS 26.4.
Stolen Device Protection is automatically enabled in iOS 26.4 beta 1.
The feature itself was envisioned as an additional layer of protection, meant to kick in in an unlikely set of circumstances — when an iPhone is stolen, and the thief knows the owner's password.
Apple's goal is to prevent the total loss of an Apple Account if an iPhone and its passcode are stolen. The changes in the first iOS 26.4 developer beta serve as a means of further protecting users of iOS devices.
Monday's iOS 26.4 developer beta also contains new localization files for the Indian variant of English. Some of the associated files appear to be related to Apple Pay, among other things.
The macOS 26.4 developer beta also brings the Charge Limit slider to the Mac. This feature was previously only available on 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.
iOS 26.4 beta 1 contains a new wallpaper gallery.
Additionally, it appears as though select wallpapers are now downloaded from a server, rather than all being available on-device from the get-go.
The Reminders application, meanwhile, was updated with a new Smart List view for tasks labeled "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 of iOS 26.4, the Freeform app received new capabilities that require an Apple Creator Studio subscription. This includes AI capabilities that enable 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 the iCloud section, users will see a new iCloud.com setting. This is essentially a new name for the Access iCloud Data on the Web setting that was previously available.
There's also an Allow Search option, which lets trusted Apple devices provide search results to 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 Safari change. Specifically, iPad users are now once again be able to use the compact tab bar option, which was not available in prior releases of iPadOS 26. It can be activated by opening the Settings app, and navigating to the Safari section.
For Mac users, meanwhile, macOS Tahoe 26.4 includes a warning related to Rosetta 2 deprecation. Given that macOS Tahoe is the last version of macOS to support Intel-based Macs, Apple has decided to fully discontinue Rosetta 2 support after the macOS 27 update.
This means select applications will cease to function once Rosetta 2 support ends, and users are being warned about the change. A key Apple Intelligence feature, meanwhile, is still not available in macOS 26.4 or iOS 26.4.
Revamped Siri still nowhere to be found in iOS 26.4
Notably absent from the first developer beta of iOS 26.4, however, is the upgraded, contextually-aware version of Siri. Originally previewed at WWDC 2024 with iOS 18, and later delayed, the revamped virtual assistant was rumored to be released as part of the iOS 26.4 update.
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iOS 26.4 beta 1 does not appear to contain Siri upgrades.
A February 2026 report, however, suggested that internal testing wasn't going well, and that the new-and-improved Siri would debut with iOS 26.5 instead. Shortly thereafter, Apple issued 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 if the feature set was planned to launch with iOS 26.4 and then delayed again, Monday's developer beta doesn't appear to contain any Siri or Apple Intelligence enhancements.
In any case, the iOS 26.4 update looks as though it will deliver enough enhancements in its own right. The new video playback option in Apple Podcasts is a welcome change, as are the updates to Apple Music.
