Apple this week launched the latest version of its cellular working system, iOS 26.4, which introduces a number of new options, together with an AI-powered playlist era function in Apple Music, help for video content material in the Podcasts app, end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages, and extra.
The replace is at present obtainable in pubic beta, with the public launch anticipated someday in March or April.
Apple Music’s AI playlist
One in every of the most noticeable enhancements arrives in Apple Music. iOS 26.4 introduces a brand new AI-powered “Playlist Playground” function that leverages Apple Intelligence. The function permits customers to generate a customized 25-song playlist from a textual content immediate, similar to “upbeat exercise combine” or “calm night.” Customers can then additional refine the outcomes and even choose matching cowl artwork.
As well as, Apple Music’s person interface itself has been refreshed to showcase full-screen paintings for albums and playlists.
Concert events Close to You
Plus, Apple Music is getting a brand new “Concert events Close to You” part that helps customers uncover dwell reveals from their favorite artists. You may filter this part by Date and Style, or change places in case you’re touring.
Apple Podcasts video episodes
Following Spotify’s push into video, Apple’s Podcasts app is making it straightforward to switch back and forth between audio and video episodes with this launch. Creators can publish video podcasts utilizing HTTP Dwell Streaming (HLS), and listeners can seamlessly change between audio and video playback inside the identical episode, transferring to a full horizontal show in the event that they select.
At launch, the video episodes can be built-in with different Apple Podcasts options, like customized suggestions and editorial curation on the New tab and Class pages, simply as audio podcasts are.
HLS additionally brings an computerized high quality adjustment function, which helps movies play higher whether or not listeners are on Wi-Fi or mobile. Plus, customers can be in a position to obtain video episodes for offline viewing. At launch, HLS is supported by Acast, Amazon’s ART19, Triton’s Omny Studio, and SiriusXM, together with SiriusXM Media, AdsWizz, and Simplecast.
Creators can be in a position to dynamically insert video advertisements, together with host-read spots, into their podcasts, too. Apple doesn’t cost creators to distribute podcasts, however it says that, beginning later this yr, collaborating advert networks can have to pay an impression-based charge for the supply of the dynamic advertisements in the HLS movies.
Encrypted RCS messaging
Messaging is additionally receiving an essential improve with encrypted Wealthy Communication Providers (RCS), which begins testing in iOS 26.4. Finish-to-end encryption for RCS conversations will someday assist guarantee messages between iPhone customers and Android customers are simply as safe as iMessage.
Presently, Apple is solely testing this between iPhones in beta. These conversations can be labeled as encrypted, and can’t be learn whereas despatched between gadgets. The corporate notes that the function can be launched publicly in a later software program replace for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS, and the beta is not obtainable for all gadgets and carriers.
Stolen Machine Detection is on by default
Safety enhancements are one other spotlight of iOS 26.4. Stolen Machine Safety is now enabled by default, including an additional layer of biometric authentication for delicate actions similar to accessing saved passwords or making sure account modifications. By requiring Face ID or Contact ID authentication in additional situations, Apple reduces the danger of unauthorized entry if a tool is stolen and the passcode is compromised.
CarPlay provides in-car video playback
Drivers utilizing Apple CarPlay may even discover modifications. CarPlay now helps in-car video playback for choose apps — together with the Apple TV app —however solely when the car is parked to guarantee security. This enhancement introduces new leisure choices for passengers after they’re stopped or whereas ready in the automotive for a time period. (Hooray for folks in the pick-up line in school!)
Third-party AI companies come to CarPlay
CarPlay for the first time will supply entry to third-party AI companies like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude.
Audio Zoom in Digital camera app
In the meantime, the Digital camera app introduces Audio Zoom. When recording video, the microphone focuses on the topic as you zoom in, decreasing background noise and enhancing readability. This function makes it simpler to seize speeches, performances, or interviews with out external audio gear.
Moreover, the Ambient Music function is now accessible by way of a widget, letting customers immediately play soundscapes designed for focus, sleep, or rest immediately from the House Display, as a substitute of simply the Management Heart as before. The function, first introduced in iOS 18.4, added quite a lot of ambient sounds to stream throughout classes like Sleep, Chill, Productiveness, and Wellbeing.
“Pressing” Reminders
There’s additionally a brand new “Pressing” part in the Reminders app that teams high-priority duties and may set off extra distinguished alerts when deadlines method. Setting a reminder as Pressing will add an alarm so that you’re positive not to miss the occasion.
And Extra…
Just a few different smaller options embrace:
- A brand new unified Apple Account Hub in the App Retailer, Apple Music, and different Apple apps, changing the “profile” function that was beforehand used.
- A brand new animation in the Messages app once you draft a message.
- An updated Wallpaper Gallery that separates the completely different classes in a brand new method; an analogous design got here to the Apple Watch Face Gallery as properly. The brand new model consists of sections for Climate, Astronomy, Emjoi and extra, amongst different modifications.
- Apple Music allows you to add songs to a number of playlists without delay.
- Well being app adds a brand new metric: Common Bedtime, which reveals the common time you went to mattress over the previous 2 weeks. The Vitals part was additionally updated to embrace a Blood Oxygen degree on the day by day graph.
- Freefrom provides a Content material Hub for Creator Studio subscribers, offering entry to new AI options and high-quality artwork. Its icon was up to date, too.
- The Private Hotspot function now includes a Information Utilization part that reveals how a lot knowledge has been despatched to your gadget and which Apple and non-Apple gadgets have been utilizing your knowledge.
- Dwell Captions provides help for Chinese language (Taiwan) below the language choices.
- There’s a brand new “Set Battery Cost Restrict” action in Shortcuts.
- The App Retailer’s Search bar is again at the high of the display screen.
- The hyperlink to iCloud.com will get a bigger, featured part inside the iCloud part in the Settings app. Earlier than, there was solely a toggle to “Entry iCloud Information on the Net.” Now, it’s extra like an enormous advert for iCloud.
Notably absent from this launch is a next-generation Siri expertise. Whereas Apple has signaled deeper AI ambitions for its voice assistant, these bigger modifications do not appear in iOS 26.4, reportedly delayed as soon as once more.
Disclaimer: This article is sourced from external platforms. OverBeta has not independently verified the information. Readers are advised to verify details before relying on them.
